Chaos Rising
by Debra N
Summary: In a world of magic and demons, Chaos Riders are all that holds the powers of Chaos at bay.  When seven men join forces to battle Chaos they'll find a connection they never expected and a destiny they couldn't have foreseen.
1. Trouble in Chaos

**Chaos Rising**

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><p><em>Seven against Chaos AU<em>. This story is a fantasy set in Michael A. Stackpole's Realms of Chaos books, which includes magic, swordfights and demons. It is technically a crossover, but the vast majority of the story focuses on the Seven, with Stackpole's characters playing only support roles. This is an open AU so anyone that likes Stackpole's books and the Magnificent Seven should feel free to jump in.

I do not own the Magnificent Seven or Realms of Chaos. No profit was made. This bit of fiction was written purely for personal satisfaction. I would like to thank Deb and Kris for their beta work, Grey Bard for her input on Chapter One, and my husband, Chris for repeatedly asking, "So when are you going to write a fan fiction story?"

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><p>Silence dominated the barren, red rock range at the edge of Chaos. The arid cliffs and valley decorated only by the occasional brown plateau. This place refused to nurture even a blade of grass, and the creatures of foot and flight all seemed wise enough to avoid it. The rising dust at the north end of the valley, however, spoke of some fool's desperation.<p>

Three riders were pushing their mounts hard, forcing the beasts well beyond the endurance of any normal horse. Fortunately for their riders, these creatures had long since been mutated beyond the capabilities of ordinary mounts. The black, in the lead, set a ground-eating pace with every strike of its onyx hooves. Its master, a man clothed in black cloth and armor, spared a quick glance over his shoulder at his two companions. Both men were managing to keep up, if only barely. They were one-fourth of the way through the valley with no sign of pursuit, which gave the riders some encouragement. Yet no one suggested taking a break or even slowing. There had been nothing less than an army on their heels when they had begun their race to the Ward Walls days ago. With their goal so close it would be too easy to relax and let down their guard, but they were still a mile from the Wall. The Storm demons were sure to make at least one more attempt to slay the three men.

More than fifteen years had passed since Chris entered Chaos for the first time. It had taken the arrogant young man only a few hours to learn one of the harsher realities of the realm. In Chaos, everything is your enemy. Even if you managed to escape the notice of the various demon tribes, you still had to fight animals of hoof, wing and wave. The rock beneath you and the air you breathed frequently turned antagonistic. Survival in Chaos required a constant vigilance that few were capable of.

A feral grin lit Chris's face when he saw the red-gold lightening of a Storm demon mage. While they were still out of its spell casting range, it was clear the demons were preparing for their final thrust. Outnumbered and exhausted, Chris and his companions were at a definite disadvantage. Still, if he was going to end up demon stew, Chris vowed to take a large chunk of Chaos down with him.

Seeing Chris's wicked smile left no doubt in Buck's mind that the worst was yet to come. Usually, Buck would be the first to step up for a fight, no matter what the odds. Hell, as far as Buck was concerned, stomping on demons was about as much fun as a body could have without silk sheets and a willing partner, but today was about reconnaissance.

There had been twelve in Chris's party when his scouts spotted the tracks of some Tsvortu, better known as Storm demons and Homboli or Hob demons, apparently traveling together. The scouts were at a loss to explain this, since it was well known that demon tribes hated each other as much if not more than they hated Imperials. Yet neither tribe was likely to take prisoners or slaves. In a realm of continuous warfare, the idea of demon tribes traveling together was almost incomprehensible, and it was far too extraordinary for Chris to ignore. So they followed the tracks, finding evidence of more and more demons joining the first. All of them were moving towards the Ward Wall.

The Ward Wall was a magical boundary between Chaos and the Empire. It had been created hundreds of years ago and was maintained, even today, by Imperial mages. Only those born in the Empire could safely pass through, which made it a strange goal for Chaos demons.

Few would do more than snicker at Hob demon stupidity, but Storms were smart enough to know that even touching the Ward Wall equaled death. The magics of the barrier would tear them apart from the inside out. So why would any demon choose the path of painful demise?

The further Chris's party investigated, the more numerous the questions became. Chris realized that eventually one demon tribe or another would come across the path of his people. Deciding that no more information could be safely gathered, he split the group in two and ordered Lydia to take half and head west, then south to the Ward Walls. Chris led the remaining riders southeast. Every rider agreed that the Empire needed to be warned about the demon army. Chris's six were within sight of the Ward Walls when a demon ambush killed three and drove Chris, Buck and Nathan deeper into Chaos. The alternate route that Buck found around the demons and back to the wall took more than a day, and it had left all three men teetering on the brink of exhaustion.

Once again they were within sight of the Ward Walls, and once again the demons were going to attack. Buck knew that detouring through Chaos again was impossible. Their only chance for survival lay in the speed of their mounts.

"No matter what happens, don't stop!" shouted Chris. "At least one of us must warn the Empire." Drawing his sword and releasing a battle roar, Chris crouched low and kicked his horse's sides hoping this last sprint would be enough to carry him through the wall.

The third member of the party, Nathan, tried once again to focus all of his attention on the situation at hand. The grunts and screams of their now dead companions still echoed in his head. Two of the lost had been fairly new to Chaos travel, boasting perhaps a dozen Chaos campaigns between them. The remaining rider had no less than a decade of experience. What tore at Nathan most was that their departed allies could have survived their initial wounds; if only he had had the chance to spell their injuries. A few minutes were all he'd needed. Indeed, if he were a better healer, it could have been done in a few seconds.

Storm demons, with their canine snouts, long shaggy hair and three glowing eyes, allowed no such mercy. The female warriors charged against them with wicked sabers, while the males stood back to provide the magic lightening attacks. As if that were not enough, several dozen Hobs jumped into the fray, swinging their clubs and wailing. There had been no time!

It was Bella, the veteran, who had leapt headfirst into the largest concentration of warriors after losing her steed. The suicidal move distracted most of the demons enough to buy Chris, Buck and Nathan an escape. Leaving three riders to the not so tender care of demons ate at Nathan's gut. He could still feel the resulting ebb of their life energies as first Bella and then Silva died. He hadn't felt Jon's passing, but he was still sure Jon was dead. Jon's wounds had been mortal and the Hobs were known to torture the dying.

Now the lightening of a Storm mage shook the ground from only twenty yards. Nathan's horned mount needed no urging from Nathan to increase its speed just a tiny bit more. Nathan resolutely pushed his dismal thoughts aside. They could not ease his guilt, nor bring his fallen friends back. Right now the only atonement he could make was to ensure their lives were not sacrificed vainly. Nathan would alert the Empire to the murderous demon army, and then try to find a way to bear his grief and guilt.

Storm warriors were cresting the ridge to the west. They had clearly cut cross-country while the riders circled around. The creatures leapt feet first down the valley face using gravity to speed their decent. It was a necessary tactic since Storms were often a bit slower than a man on foot, and no match for even a tired mount. Still, the Chaos Riders lead was small and a single misplaced hoof equaled disaster. The magical lightening hadn't hit them yet, but the ear aching thunder and ground tremors it created were more than enough to agitate the horses. Chris's Pony seemed the least affected. In fact, the black appeared more angered than spooked by the attempts to stop it. Nathan whispered promises of oats and apples on the other side of the Ward Wall to his mount, Unicorn. Buck, on the other hand, threaded his fingers through Saint's mane and tossed out derogatory comments about, "Ugly, hairy-nosed sissy boys who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn even if it had a lightening rod stuck in the middle of it."

The warrior females continued to close in. Clan markings were now visible and Chris could recognize the symbols for at least three separate clans. Storm demon clans were based around the warriors. All of the warriors were sisters, mothers, daughters or cousins, and all of them were blood oathed to avenge a clan member's death. Males were rare and the only members capable of working magic. Thus, they were fiercely protected and engaged in battle only from a distance.

Knowing he could ask no more speed of his horse, Chris did his best to guide it towards the easiest terrain while staying out of the reach of the Storms' sabers. A numbing impact to his left shoulder blade told Chris that one of the mages had decided that lime-sized hail might succeed where lightening had not. Not that the lightening stopped. Nathan was fairly certain that they would all have some temporary hearing loss to deal with. Assuming they survived, of course.

The distance to the Ward Wall could now be measured in yards. The barrier seemed to curve up over the riders in a veil of shimmering opal flecked with dancing highlights of purple and red, blue, green and gold.

"Damned she-devils!" came from Buck. Chris forced himself not to turn around. He had to trust that Buck would make the last few feet through the Wall. A familiar warm tingle overtook his body as Chris finally passed out of Chaos. The blue skies, green grass and yellow sun were food for Chris's weary soul. He let Pony slow at his own pace before turning to check the others. Nathan was already at Buck's side; spelling closed a nasty slice in his leg. The occasional arrow sailed through the Wall, but its opal essence made the arrows all blind shots. They were far enough away not to be concerned. When Nathan signaled that the healing spell had taken hold, Chris turned his horse about and headed for the nearest town of Four Corners; traveling at a slower pace, much to the relief of all.

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><p>Four Corners was a town that could barely carry the weight of its title. The land nearby had yet to recover from its centuries under Chaos. The first settlers to the area had brought a type of sturdy longhorn that adapted well despite the minimal vegetation. But the small numbers of farmers, who had moved into the area in the decades since, had managed to grow only the hardiest food and grain crops. The ranchers despised the farmer's fences and irrigation ditches that hemmed in the cattle and depleted their water supply. The ranchers took action by having their cattlemen rip down fences and dams. Outnumbered and isolated, the farmers could seldom stop them. Within the town itself, rowdy ranch hands often harassed citizens and destroyed property while issuing numerous challenges, especially after a visit to one of the town's four main bars. Only its fifth saloon, the Refuge, was safe. Chaos Riders had claimed it as a stopping point when traveling both to and from Chaos. Not even the wildest cattleman had the nerve to cross a Rider.<p>

Chris pulled Pony to a stop in front of the constable's office. Swinging off his mount, he handed the reins to Buck.

"Meet you at the Refuge, Pard," Buck spoke with a nod and a grin. "I'm sure Inez has been pining away for her knight in shining armor."

"Is that supposed to be you?" asked Nathan. "'Cause I think I remember Inez's last word to you being, 'Never!'"

"I'm wearing her down," Buck insisted. "It's only a matter of time." The rest of their discussion was lost in the street noise as they moved to the stables.

Chris shook his head at Buck's ascertains. He wondered idly if Buck's armor would have a wet coat of ale, complements of Inez, by the time he arrived. He rapped on the door a couple of times before he turned the knob to the Constable's combination office and jailhouse. Inside was a person unknown to Chris. The boy-man looked too young to be even seventeen, with dark brown hair that fell past his ears on the side and touched his collar in the back. The boy was bent over the desk, holding a needle and a thread, apparently trying to sew a new badge onto his sash. The top of the sash held the badge for Jask, the providence between the Great Forest and the mountains of Besdan. The next badge showed the image of a horseman leaping a fence, marking the boy as a third level horse trainer. It was an impressive achievement for such a young person. The third badge was a green bow and arrow, which labeled the boy as a journeyman archer. Chris couldn't see all of the newest badge, but a glimpse of gold thread brought him to the realization that this child before him was probably Constable Tynan's new deputy. Chris forced himself to swallow the disgust he felt for Tynan at conning an obviously inexperienced youth into taking on such a dangerous job. When Chris stepped in, the teenager rose to his full height, all of 5'7", and extended his hand asking, "How can I help you, Sir?"

"Where's Constable Tynan?" returned Chris, preferring to take his needs to the person in charge. The other shrugged.

"Don't know for sure. Last I heard he was riding as fast as he could for the Menal border, after getting scared off by some drunken ranch hands." The boy puffed up importantly. "Warlord Travis picked me to be Tynan's replacement."

Chris's eyes narrowed in assessment. "More likely, Travis asked for volunteers and you were the only one foolish enough to step forward." The bright red that stole across the boy's face confirmed his guess. Kids were always so eager to grow up and become legends, most having no clue of the danger they were rushing into. "Playing hero will only get you killed. You should go home to your family, Kid. You're not the type."

The boy's embarrassment quickly turned to anger. He stepped forward so that he was toe-to-toe with Chris, something few dared to do. "You think you've got me all figured out?" demanded the boy. "The only family I had died with my mother. I may not be an experienced Chaos Rider like you, but I can ride and I can shoot. I'm not looking for glory; I just want to do the best job I can." He paused for a moment to take a breath. "Since you walked in the door I've been nothing but respectful, even though I don't know you from Fialchar. The least you could do is return the courtesy." As his speech wound down, the boy's face paled when he realized that yelling at the dark man in front of him was probably one of the dumbest things he had ever done. But his pride decided it was too late to back down.

Chris's granite face didn't as much as twitch during the boy's entire tirade. Yet his opalescent eyes seemed to bore into the boy's soul. He noted when the boy started to regret his outspokenness. He was, in fact, somewhat pleased when the boy stood his ground despite his obvious intimidation. And Chris knew he was intimidating. More than one demon had backed down after meeting the 'Larabee glare' he'd inherited from his father. Chris could count the number of Imperials who stood up to him on one hand. After several tense seconds he decided the boy had earned a reprieve.

"You got a name, Kid?" asked Chris.

"Um, my name's JD. That's short for Jon-Dun," the kid replied.

"You happen to know where Tynan left the communication crystals, JD?" asked Chris. The topic change caught JD off guard, but he recovered quickly.

"Well, yeah, I've got them right over here," JD motioned to a set of drawers along the wall. "They were all jumbled up so I tried to organize them a bit." Apparently JD had a gift for underestimation. The drawer had been divided into sections, each labeled with the name of a province. The crystals themselves were further identified with tags that named the city/town and official they could reach.

The last time Chris had demanded the use of the magic crystals from Tynan it had taken over 20 minutes, and much complaining, just to find the chest they had been buried in. It then took another hour of trial and error to figure out which crystal would reach the capital city. At the time Chris had made sure to memorize which crystal it was so he could avoid a repeat of the situation.

A quick glance around the room showed a clear absence of the dirt and clutter that usually proliferated around Tynan. The wall to the left was papered with the wanted posters of several murderers, a suspected Black Church member and two fugitives charged with badge fraud. An oak box hung on the wall to hold the posters of other, less dangerous, criminals. The wall on the right now held a variety of blades and bows all hung from new weapon racks. Chris again adjusted his judgment of JD. At least he wasn't afraid of elbow grease, and knew how to organize his gear.

Selecting the amethyst crystal labeled 'Colonel Torrance', Chris paused and stared pointedly at JD.

"Oh, you probably want to make your report in private. I'll be just outside if you need anything else." JD grabbed his sash and sewing materials and hurried out the door.

Chris waited until the door closed and then activated the crystal with a triple tap. Having used the crystal before he was expecting the slight tingle as the crystal leeched the small amount of energy needed to work its magic. Chris's hand would ache for a few minutes, but it was better than riding for days to get their news to the capital. When the amethyst began to glow from within, Chris spoke. "Chaos Rider Christopher reporting on scouting mission Storm Front."

"It is good to hear your voice, Chris. You were so delayed that we were prepared for the worst. Did any of the others make it back with you?" Torrance's voice held the tiredness of an Elf that had written too many letters to grieving families.

"Buck and Nathan, Sir. We lost Jon, Bella and Silva to one of the demon ambushes." Chris could almost hear Torrance's weary nod.

"I'll make sure that their families are notified."

"If you don't mind, Sir, I would prefer to write the letters to their families." It was a small act but one that Chris felt he owed his warriors. A dry chuckle echoed through the crystal.

"Lydia made the same request for her group. You'll be pleased to know that she and Annie made it through. Annie took a heavy dose of poison but the healer believes she'll eventually make a full recovery."

"Then you already have a report of the demon movements?" Chris needed to know they were taking this seriously. Seven Riders had died trying to get this information to the Empire.

"We have a report, but to be totally honest, many in my chain of command are having a hard time believing it. Lydia is an experienced Rider but most of that experience was with Shadow and Mist demons. There are questions as to whether she could have misinterpreted what she saw, especially since she's unfamiliar with these demon tribes."

Chris nodded. He didn't like his people's statements being questioned, but what they were reporting was rather fantastical. "Well, Sir, we were scouting out the borders to the newly claimed Storm demon territory, as ordered. We discovered the tracks of Hob and Storm demons. Their tracks indicated that they were traveling together, and there was no sign of fighting or even duress. The further we scouted the more tracks we encountered. When we reached the limit of our intelligence gathering capabilities, I split the group and ordered everyone back to the Empire. On our return trip my smaller group encountered two ambushes, one of which involved Storm and Hob demons attacking in concert. The Storm bitches cut off our exit while the Hobs engaged us directly and the Storm mages pounded us with lightening and hail from afar. Bella's suicide attack and Jon's considerable magic ability were the only reasons any of us made it out alive." Chris hesitated over his last bit of information. "While circling away from a demon patrol we spotted Flame demon markings. But there was no way to tell if they were also allied to the Storms or merely watching them as we were."

"May I ask who was involved in the other ambush?" The voice that spoke was no longer Torrance's. It was male and carried the tone of command that, for some reason, whispered to Chris's memories, but despite that sounded quite young.

"Who is this?" demanded Chris.

"My apologies, I'm Lachlan. When Lydia's report first reached the capital it caused quite a stir. But some of us were willing to take it at face value. My cousin and I already have our Valiant Lancers en route and should reach Four Corners by daybreak."

Chris was momentarily surprised to hear the name Valiant Lancers used so casually. He'd still been new to the horrors of Chaos when the entire legion had been wiped out by Shadow demons. In the nearly two decades since, they had become more legend than fact. Now the sons of two of the Empire's most revered Chaos Riders had, with the Emperor's encouragement, reformed the Lancers. Still, legend or not, practical matters had to be considered. "The second ambush involved only Storm demons." Chris answered Lachlan's earlier question, and then asked one of his own. "How strong of a force are your Lancers?"

"We have fifty Chaos Riders with us right now including a dozen magic users. And we expect at least a couple more when Lydia joins us near Kasha. I realize that it's not much against a combined demon army, but I'm sure your support of Lydia's earlier report as well as your new information will be enough to get the army moving. Our goal will be to find out why they are massing so close to the Ward Wall, and if necessary delay them until the Imperial army arrives. Colonel Torrance was fairly confident in your escape, so I had a mage friend link our crystals to ensure that I'd get all the new information as he did. In fact, I was hoping that you would keep your crystal with you until we arrive. Something tells me that we are only seeing a corner of the portrait and I'd like to keep a lane of communication available. Do you think your people will be ready to ride after only a night's rest?"

"We'll be ready," Chris assured. "Refuge is at the north side of town. That's where you'll find us."

"Until morning then," Lachlan said and the connection broke.

Chris released a deep breath, fingering the crystal for a few seconds before tucking it into a vest pocket. As he walked out of the constable's office he saw JD leaning against one of the posts, proudly wearing his sash with its new badge. The deep blue imperial star was flanked with a sword and bow to its sides and a chain of manacles below. A thick gold stitching that bordered the badge made his claim of Constable all very proper, even if the badge did seem out of place on one so young. "I'm keeping the crystal with me until reinforcements arrive in the morning," Chris announced.

"Okay, just let me know if you need any help on your mission," JD insisted eagerly.

Chris didn't bother to reply. He just nodded once and turned towards the Refuge. Whiskey, that's what he needed, a strong bottle of whiskey.

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><p>The saloon known as Refuge was housed in a nondescript, somewhat run down building. The walls and roof were sturdy enough, but there was an utter lack of paint or decoration, and the hinges on all of the shutters and doors wailed piteously with every gust of wind. The smoked windows gave only the barest hint of a flickering glow from within. The sign above the door bore the saloon's name in purple, accompanied by an overflowing mug of ale stamped in the middle with an oval eye of Chaos fire. Just outside the door, sitting on a bench next to a checkerboard, was a shriveled, white haired old man who tended to jerk or twitch at every sudden noise. Most might have taken him to be both toothless and harmless. But rumor claimed that the last cowhand to harass the old geezer had been left crying for his Mama after soiling his own pants. Now, few would even walk by on the same side of the street as Whitey.<p>

Chris paused beside Whitey's game. He contemplated the board for a few seconds before he moved one of the red pieces, jumping two of the black in the process.

"Not bad," cackled Whitey, his wrinkles doubling as he grinned. "Of course, if you'd moved that other piece you could have jumped three of mine."

"And then you would have jumped two of mine for your turn," Chris replied.

"I must be getting predictable in my old age," Whitey harrumphed. "Still, you never know. One of those other three might have been a Storm demon War Queen. Then it would have been worth it."

"Could have and might have are statements I prefer to avoid when engaging in battle," said Chris.

Whitey let loose a bark of laughter before turning back to his game to move another piece. "Rumor has it that the Storm demons are up to all sorts of mischief now that the Shadows can't stand in their way," Whitey's comment was half gossip, half question.

"They've mounted a substantial army," Chris confirmed. "The Lancers will be coming through in the morning to better assess the threat." He knew the curious old coot wanted information, but Chris wasn't a conversationalist under the best of circumstances. And, he simply couldn't see any way to mention a demon alliance without starting a panic. Usually he wouldn't say anything at all, but many Riders passed Chaos news through Whitey. Whitey would now warn all Riders that passed by of the Storm army. When Lachlan and his Lancers arrived in the morning every Chaos Rider in the town would be ready to join them.

"How's it been here in Four Corners?" Chris asked, hoping to gather a different sort of information.

"You seen the young pup they got as Constable?" Whitey asked. Chris nodded silently. "Well, about a week back, I was visiting my sister, Eloise. I guess some of the cowboys from the James ranch figured it would be a good time to harass the girls. Inez and Blossom had just closed up for the night, when they forced their way in. I'm sure the girls put up quite a fuss, but it was the Constable that made them cowboys back down. To hear Blossom tell it, that boy had fired one arrow, feathered another and already picked his second target, before the first fella even knowed he'd been hit. JD's been by at least once every night since then just to check on the girls. Inez has made it real clear that anyone who gives JD a hard time can look elsewhere for a drink."

Chris accepted the information, glad that Inez hadn't witnessed the confrontation earlier. "What's your take on JD?" asked Chris. He usually agreed with Inez's assessments of others, but she was bound to be biased towards a person she felt indebted to.

"That boy is about as green as you can be without turning into a peapod," Whitey claimed. "Still, he's got a lot of nerve. And he ain't stupid, just," Whitey shrugged before deciding, "inexperienced. I figure; if he survives the next six months, he'll make a right useful Constable."

Chris thought Whitey's comments sounded reasonably accurate. The only real question was whether the kid would live long enough to prove himself. Looking back at the checkerboard, Chris saw an opening. Moving a piece he declared, "Crown me."

"Dang nabbit!" shouted Whitey, stomping his foot. "I was winning until you came along."

Chris chuckled, and decided not to point out that until he came along; Whitey had been playing against himself. The scent of grilled steak wafted out the doorway, reminding Chris that he had eaten nothing but jerky for far too long. With a final nod to the still grumbling Whitey, Chris moved inside.

Refuge's interior was gloomy despite the daylight outside. The few isolated lamps seemed more effective at lengthening shadows than dispelling them. A dozen or so patrons were scattered about a large room that could easily hold five times their number. Across from Chris a bar stretched out the length of the room.

Behind the bar stood a beautiful, brown-eyed brunette that bore just a hint of Chaos fire in her eyes. When she noticed Chris's entrance, she smiled in welcome. "Nathan said you would be arriving soon so I'm preparing a plate with steak, broccoli in spiced butter sauce and roasted peppers."

"Add a bottle of whiskey to that order, Inez, and I will die a happy man," Chris assured as he approached the bar.

"Don't you dare," Inez admonished. "I will have no dying in my saloon: It is bad for business." Inez slid a whiskey bottle and a tall shot glass over to Chris. "If you would take these to your table, I can have your steak out to you in three more minutes."

"I appreciate it." Chris picked up the bottle and glass, and then headed to the far end of the room where several tables sat on a raised stage. Buck and Nathan had staked a claim on the table nearest the wall. Nathan appeared to be finishing off a hearty bowl of stew, while the thrust of Buck's attention was centered on the lovely Blossom. Blossom easily returned his attention from her perch on his lap. She cuddled into his loose embrace, giggling at his whispered confidences as she fed him bits of pork. Chris slid a chair over with his foot, settling himself with his back to the wall. Seeing Chris's tense posture Buck murmured in Blossom's ear then leaned back to give her an easy exit. Rising to her feet, Blossom turned to Chris.

"I was truly relieved to hear you'd made it back, Mr. Chris," said Blossom earnestly. Her looks were a strong contrast to Inez. She was blonde and fair skinned; a bit more plump then her boss, but in a way that accentuated all of her curves. Many men might have found her to be ideal, at least, until they met her solid opalescent eyes. The irony was that for all the Chaos fire her eyes held, Blossom had never once set foot in Chaos. It was Blossom's parents who were Chaos Riders. During their last mission, what was supposed to be a simple foray, Blossom's father was slain. Her mother was lost for nearly a month before she was discovered weak and delirious just outside the Ward Wall. Taken to a healer, it was several days before she recovered enough to understand she was with child. Yet the healer insisted the babe was developing healthy and normal, so the new mother decided to carry her lover's only child to term. And in truth, Blossom's birth was much celebrated as she was found to be normal in _almost_ every way. The Chaos eyes that made her an outcast amongst other children did not erase her open, gentle nature. In some ways Blossom and Buck were a matched set. Both were fun-loving, affectionate, and eager to share themselves with others. But, unlike Buck, Blossom radiated an innocence that served to remind more than one Chaos Rider of what it was they were fighting for. It was an innocence that Chris had no desire to see vanish. Chris grabbed Blossom's hand to halt her retreat.

"Blossom, if you or Inez have any more trouble with the cowboys I want to know about it," Chris demanded. Buck immediately straightened at the obviously new information.

Blossom just smiled. "No need to worry, Mr. Chris. We haven't had a lick of trouble since Constable JD set those fellows straight," she assured. Seeing the lack of effect her words had she conceded, "If anything changes, you'll be the first I come to." Satisfied with her promise, Chris released her. She moved several steps away before Buck leaned forward with a query.

"Constable JD?" asked Buck.

"The new man Warlord Travis appointed. Apparently Tynan ran off," said Chris.

"The coward," snarled Buck, who was never a fan of Tynan. "Still, I don't think it's the constable situation or even the cowboys that have got you wound so tight. How did the capital react to your report?" he asked. Nathan pushed aside his empty bowl and listened intently.

"Torrance seemed to take me seriously. He'd already heard from Lydia. She and Annie made it through. He mentioned others not believing her report, but he seemed to think that my corroboration would be enough to raise an army," said Chris.

"That sounds real good," said Buck. "But it will take weeks maybe even a month to gather an army. What are we suppose to do until then?"

"Join up with reinforcements and investigate a bit more . . . aggressively," smiled Chris. "A party at least fifty strong will be here by mid-morning. In fact, Lydia will be with them."

"What about Annie?" asked Nathan. She was more of an acquaintance than friend, but Nathan did know that Annie seldom passed up the chance to battle in Chaos.

"She's still recovering from some poison. Torrance wasn't specific about what caused it, but considering the direction I sent them, it was probably from a Viper demon." Grimacing at a dark thought Chris added, "Let's hope they aren't Storm allies too."

"You sure do know how to wreck a man's appetite," said Buck, tossing down his fork in disgust. There wasn't a demon tribe he hated more than the Vipers. Hoping to change the subject he asked, "Do these reinforcements we're waiting on have a name?"

"The Valiant Lancers," said Chris as a small grin crept back to his face.

Buck choked on his beer, before coughing away his shock. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?" he demanded.

"You didn't ask." Chris replied.

"The Valiant Lancers," repeated Nathan with a tone of wonder. "I used to have dreams about riding with them through Chaos just like in all the legends."

"Ain't that the truth," agreed Buck recalling his own childhood fantasies.

"Fancy names don't change the fact that they're just as mortal as we are," insisted Chris, deciding it was past time to rein in their awe. "Their commander, Lachlan, seemed intelligent, and his near annihilation of the Shadow demons was a significant victory. But it will take more than legends to counter this threat. We would do well to remember that the Lancers were always sent on the deadliest missions. And from one of those missions no one returned."

* * *

><p>Nathan remained at their table in Refuge long after Buck had allowed himself to be led away by Blossom at the end of her shift. No doubt there would be a visit to the Church of Pleasure before the night was through. Chris, after finishing his steak dinner, had paid for a room. Then with his whiskey and some writing materials, he had gone to begin the grim task of family-death notification, in the relative quiet of the upper level.<p>

Nathan couldn't help but dwell on the warriors they had lost. Bella was the mother of three girls. Jon had been telling the others how he planned to surprise his lady with an engagement ring. Silva…well she at least would be leaving no one behind. In fact, her mate was probably waiting for her on the other side. But Nathan would miss her songs. The way she played the flute always seemed to make the nights in Chaos somehow less horrific. And then there were the others. Sure Lydia and Annie had survived, but Calum, Donia, Hank and Cutter were all dead. Cutter wasn't even the man's name. It was just a nickname Annie had tagged him with for his first Ride. Try as he might, Nathan couldn't recall Cutter's real name. His head told him that riding a single mission wasn't enough time to get to know someone. But Nathan's heart insisted he was letting Chaos harden him too much.

He was a trained Healer. Most of his adult life had been dedicated to helping others. But the last couple of months had Nathan spending more time killing his enemies than healing his allies. Nathan knew in his soul that the struggles of Chaos Riders were vital to the continued existence of the Empire. He just wasn't sure if he, personally, was strong enough to remain a Rider. Any career choices would have to wait though. Tomorrow they would ride to Chaos with the Lancers, and if Nathan wanted to make it back alive he would have to put his doubts aside for at least a few more days. Lost in thought, Nathan was oblivious to the large form moving towards his table.

"Are these seats reserved, or can anyone sit here?" boomed a deep voice.

Nathan jerked his head up. Then let his mouth split into a wide grin. "Brother Josiah, what are you doing here?" asked Nathan as he motioned for Josiah to sit. "I thought you had been recalled to the chapter house in Herkoplis."

"Well, my friend, it appears that either I am too needed for this newest mission or my superiors have grown weary of my questions and seek to have me away from their presence." Josiah heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Bishop McNally acted especially frustrated about my most recent theological struggles. He claimed that the Sunbird himself was certain to bake me alive if I were to dare utter another question of Church Dogma."

"And what did you say to that?" wondered Nathan with a knowing grin.

"I asked why the Sunbird would roast me for asking questions that it must surely ask itself when first emerging from its rebirth. I was given my current assignment a few hours later." explained Josiah in an intent tone. He then broke into a sudden and somewhat maniacal grin. "Do you think it was something I said?"

Nathan didn't bother trying to hold back his chuckle. There were times when he was certain that Josiah went out of his way to irritate his superiors. Josiah had claimed once that he only questioned things to find personal enlightenment. But the Church of the Sunbird was a faith of warriors not theologians. If he had wanted to search for answers he should have joined the Seekers Faithful.

While Josiah ordered a drink, Nathan took a moment to examine his friend. Both tall and broad, Josiah was quite fit for a man entering his fifth decade. His hair was salt and pepper gray, while his facial features were more memorable than traditionally handsome. He had vibrant blue eyes that belied his many journeys to Chaos. In fact, none of the mutations associated with Riders appeared to afflict him. Such was the protection of the Sunbird. Any man or woman who pledged their loyalty to the Sunbird and dedicated their lives to the eradication of Chaos was granted immunity to its mutating affects. If it were not for the social stigma still attached to being a member of the Church of the Sunbird, there would probably be many more of their number amongst the Riders.

Lacking such protections had certainly changed Nathan's own appearance. He didn't have wicked bone spurs like Chris, or even Buck's continuous growth. (According to Buck, he averaged about 2 inches a year. But Nathan still had a hard time believing that when Buck had made his first ride into Chaos twelve years ago, it had been as a Dwarf.) Nathan's changes were relatively harmless as these things went. His once brown eyes had long since turned the milky white of an opal flecked with red, blue, gold and purple Chaos fire. But it was his skin that bore the brunt of change. His formally deep brown skin tone was now a patchwork of brown, tan, red and black. Nathan refused to be ashamed of his work as a Chaos Rider, or the mutation it caused, but there were still times he was tempted to take the easy way by wearing a cloak and hiding his appearance from normal folk.

Noticing that Josiah had stopped drinking after finishing only half of his glass, Nathan realized that whatever the reason he was sent on his mission he still planned to take it seriously.

"Are you here about the Storm Demons?" asked Nathan, thinking that it wouldn't be unheard of for those in the Sunbird hierarchy to know almost as much, and sometimes even more than, the Imperial armed forces.

"Actually, no," replied Josiah, "though I did hear about a surprise party for them involving the Valiant Lancers. I'm assuming that you, too, planned to be involved." Nathan nodded. "I have a hard time believing that the Emperor would send out the Lancers over a few cantankerous Storm tribes." Josiah's piercing gaze made his question clear.

"The Storm demons have formed an alliance with the Hobs, and maybe even other tribes," Nathan said in a hushed tone.

Josiah's head reared back as his expression shifted to one of denial. "Impossible," he hissed. "For five hundred years we've been battling in Chaos, and not once in all of that time have the demon tribes stopped fighting each other long enough to unite against us."

"I'm not getting this from gossip or hearsay, Josiah," Nathan whispered back. "I was there. I watched half of our number fall to a combined Storm/Hob attack. And they weren't just fighting us while they fought each other. They were working together to kill us." Nathan shook his head in sudden despair. "They're gathering an army and massing at the Glass Cliffs near the Ward Wall."

"The Glass Cliffs? Those are what, eight miles from here?" asked Josiah.

"Yeah, about that as the crow flies." answered Nathan. "Why? Does your mission maybe have something to do with this after all?"

"I'm not sure, Nathan," Josiah rubbed his stubble coated chin in thought. "You heard about what happened at last New Year's, Bear's Eve Ball, right?"

"Well, I heard a lot. But I never knew how much of it was factual. I figured at least some of it had to be though, because the next thing I heard, the Valiant Lancers had been reformed."

"Fialchar teleported to the middle of the Ball issuing threats against the Emperor, and attempting to cast horrific spells upon the crowd. At the same time a Shadow Demon sorcerer, with the help of at least a dozen Black Churchers, broke into the palace treasury and stole the Fistfire Scepter, a magical weapon powerful enough to punch a significant hole in the Ward Walls. That's why Thetys V reformed the Valiant Lancers. Their first mission was to reclaim the Scepter and kill the Shadow sorcerer."

"But how did the demon pass through the Ward Wall to get to the Palace?" asked Nathan.

"Well, according to the interrogations of the Black Churchers, getting the demon across involved hundreds of Shadows building a giant ramp and catapult. Then they built a hollow sphere out of the hide and bone of Imperial cattle, provided by Black Churchers. They filled the sphere with a soup of blood and gore, again, all Imperial in origin. The demon sealed itself inside and was catapulted through the wall. Because the magic of the Ward Wall seeks to attack only Chaos born, the nature of the sphere created a sort of insulation against its magic," explained Josiah. "Apparently it worked well enough that the demon sorcerer was merely weakened. Though, I have been assured that the City of Sorcerers has already woven new spells into the Ward Wall, preventing any similar attempts in the future."

"Is that how Fialchar got through the Ward Wall, too?" asked Nathan.

"No. I'm afraid that it was our own arrogance that let us think the Ward Walls would keep Fialchar out. Remember, the Walls were created to separate the chaotic from the natural, and to keep Chaos born from our lands. But Fialchar, he is older than Chaos. In fact, by breaking the Seal of Reality some might call him the creator of Chaos. I doubt the Wards Walls were ever any serious impediment to his travel," reasoned Josiah. "Regardless, it will take a better mage than I to deal with 'Old Lord Disaster'. The leaders of my order have decided to leave the City of Sorcerers to fight Fialchar. The Church of the Sunbird will be focusing its flaming eyes on the traitors of the Black Church. My mission, my friend, is to meet with an informant who claims to know of a wizard working to advance the Churchers creed."

Nathan shuddered in spite of himself. The Black Church, more formally known as the Church of Chaos Encroaching, was dedicated to tearing down the Ward Walls. Their creed stated that, "only through the struggles of Chaos could man reach his full potential". Ironically, the Black Churchers used Chaos Riders as examples of the 'good' Chaos could mold. They apparently chose to ignore the fact that half of those who traveled to Chaos never returned. And that many of those that did, came back crippled and broken not only in body, but also in mind and soul.

"Wait a minute," insisted Nathan when he realized where Josiah was leading. "You're telling me that the Sunbirds learned of a wizard working with the Black Church, and they sent you out to deal with it alone?"

Josiah chuckled. "Don't be too hard on them, Brother. Since the Bear's Eve Ball, there have been literally a thousand different leads on various Black Church plots. To be totally honest, our manpower has been stretched thin. This particular intelligence report was deemed important enough for further investigation, but too unreliable to send a large party. I had wondered on more than one occasion if I was actually on some wild goose chase."

"Then why are you suddenly looking like you're ready to spit fireballs?" demanded Nathan.

"Because I'm supposed to meet with my Black Church informant at the bottom of Elders Canyon, which, if I'm not mistaken, is directly across the Ward Wall from . . ."

" . . . The Glass Cliffs!" finished Nathan.

"Indeed," said Josiah. "It's quite a coincidence that you saw an army of demons massing, and then I'm sent to investigate Black Church activity in almost the same location. Or it would be, if I hadn't stopped believing in coincidences about three or four decades ago."

"You're not going alone, Josiah. I'm going with you," insisted Nathan.

"Why, Nathan, I can't think of anyone I'd rather ride to my doom with," said Josiah with a wide smile.

* * *

><p>The sun had nearly finished its descent, leaving night to creep its way across the town. The Refuge was much more crowded than it had been at midday. Every tongue seemed to carry the names of the Valiant Lancers, Storm demons and even Christopher. Chris, for his part, ignored the hushed tones that carried his name. He had finished writing his sad missives perhaps an hour back, but had been reluctant to brood over his soldier's deaths with only some whiskey for company. Chris sometimes felt as though his only purpose in life was to mourn the loss of those around him. Recognizing his depression for the useless thing it was, he forced himself downstairs and into the company of others.<p>

Nathan had made a quick introduction for Josiah, and then shared that the two would be leaving in about an hour for a meeting of some sort. Soon after, Buck returned with sly grin and a relaxed movement that made it all too clear what he had been doing.

"Enjoy your visit to the Pleasure Temple?" asked Chris. "You usually don't resurface this soon. What's the matter, having trouble sustaining the moment?" Buck took the bait just as Chris had known he would.

"Now, Chris, I've done told you a hundred times there is nothing wrong with my staying power. Heck, half the time I have to tone it down because those ladies can't handle all my natural skill. The only reason I'm back so soon is I figured we'd be up before dawn and I heard that sleep is a good thing before a battle." Buck took a swig of ale before adding, "Besides, Blossom mentioned that the new Constable was likely to pass through here. I figure if he's the one protecting Blossom and Inez when we're not around we ought to at least look him over. You know, see what sort of man he is." Chris looked away to hide the mirth in his eyes. Buck's reaction to JD was sure to be quite entertaining.

"New Constable?" asked Josiah. "I was told to filter my reports through Constable Tynan. What happened to him?"

"He ran off, like the yellow-bellied pit viper that he is," proclaimed Buck. "And good riddance I say!"

"JD has already rescued the ladies from a spot of trouble, and he's certainly done a good job of cleaning up Tynan's sty of an office," said Chris, subtly adding fuel to the fire that was Buck's emotions.

"Now, Chris, a maid could clean up an office. That don't mean she'd make a good law officer," countered Buck.

"True," agreed Chris solemnly. He spotted JD crossing the saloon towards Inez. It looked like the fireworks were about to begin.

"Tynan was supposed to get papers verifying my identity and providing for my monetary needs," said Josiah. "I hope they didn't get lost in the shuffle."

"Only one way to find out," insisted Chris. He rose to his feet and in a clear voice said, "Constable JD, would you join us for a minute?"

JD, who had been in the midst of a conversation with Inez, looked over, clearly recognizing Chris from earlier in the day as he stiffened; but he excused himself from Inez with a smile and worked his way toward their table.

Buck, who had his back to JD, noticed Josiah and Nathan's surprised faces. Wondering what could startle experienced veterans; Buck stood and scanned the room, looking right over the head of the young man standing perhaps a foot and a half away.

"So where is this new Constable?" asked Buck.

"I'm Constable JD," answered a voice to his right.

Buck zeroed in on the boy, focusing on his sash of badges. Disbelief flickered across his face. He looked at his old friend, then at the boy. His shock turned to humor as his gaze settled back on Chris. "You had me going for a moment there, Pard. I almost fell for it," admitted Buck. Then he spoke to JD. "You better get those badges off before the real Constable sees you."

"Buck, he is the real Constable," insisted Chris.

"Come on, now. This ain't funny anymore," said Buck, as disbelief returned to his face.

"You're right. There's nothing funny about Tynan abandoning this town. Or the fact that JD was the only one with the nerve to step up when Warlord Travis asked for a replacement," said Chris in an even voice.

"Some replacement," countered Buck derisively, "a coward for a kid." Buck circled around JD sizing him up. "I'm guessing you got yourself all wound up after reading some tall tale, like the Legends of Cardew and Driscoll: Decided that you'd become a warrior and tame the frontier. Well, you might as well turn that badge in, because it takes more than dreams and a bit of silver to be a constable."

JD set his stance with the same stubborn determination that Chris had seen in his office. "I am not going to take these badges off. I have earned every one of them. And, I'm certainly not going to quit my job just because some windbag like you says I should."

The chuckles following the 'windbag' comment made Buck realize he was having more success amusing his friends then cowing this boy. Using his size to back the boy up a step, Buck raised his voice, "Now you listen here, Boy."

"Is there a problem?" interrupted Inez.

"Don't worry, Darling," said Buck. "I'm just explaining some facts of life to the young one here."

"Well, let me explain some facts," countered Inez. "Constable JD is quite capable of doing his job without any advice from you. He has protected the people of this town for several weeks now. And, he has been very helpful to many of us when we needed it. What would you teach him?" demanded Inez. "How to entertain a priestess of the Pleasure Temple?"

"Now, Inez, this isn't about me," soothed Buck, "It's about whether you should trust your safety to some inexperienced child."

"JD has already kept us safe," answered Inez.

"He probably just got lucky," scoffed Buck.

"He saved our lives!" shouted Inez, her temper now well and truly lost.

"I think you're being a bit overdramatic, Honey," Buck said.

"Overdramatic," repeated Inez, her fingers curling around a mug. "Well, how's this for dramatic, Honey?" The ale hit Buck's face with a splash, followed by laughter from their audience. "If you won't be considerate to my friends you can find your ale elsewhere."

"Hold on a minute," said Buck, his hands up in a placating gesture. He was a little confused as to how his harmless teasing of the kid had turned into a fight with Inez.

"I said out," yelled Inez. Her hand snatched Chris's half finished whiskey bottle and waved it threateningly at Buck. "If you don't leave, you'll be the one in need of protection." The entire saloon laughed at the sight of broad shouldered, six foot six Buck scurrying away from the much smaller Inez. Once Buck escaped out the doors, Inez calmly, if somewhat smugly, returned Chris's bottle and went back to tending the bar.

JD continued to stand where he was, still surprised by what just occurred. JD was used to others telling him, he was in the way or didn't belong. It was rare for someone else to take his side. He wasn't entirely sure if he should be happy or embarrassed by Inez's display.

"Sit down, Kid," said Chris, motioning to the chair that Buck had vacated.

"Don't mind those two," added Nathan. "Buck and Inez always fight. It's not a true stay at the Refuge until Inez has tossed at least one mug of ale in his face." Glad that none of the others seemed to share Buck's opinion of JD's inadequacies, he accepted the invitation.

"Josiah Sanchez, here, is a priest of the Sunbird," introduced Chris. "He has some questions he needs you to answer in an official capacity." JD leaned forward intently. He was always eager to begin a new aspect of his job.

"First off," started Josiah, "Constable Tynan was supposed to have received confirmation papers and some gold to cover my expenses. According to my superiors he also had the name of my contact." Josiah's voice dropped to a whisper, "Someone within the Black Church claiming to have vital information."

"Vital isn't the half of it," said JD. "I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to come. I know that Tynan was supposed to have sent word to the capital, but I couldn't see any proof of it. Then again, if your confirmation papers were in the same package as the gold, Tynan probably took it with him. All of the money for paying bounties and running the jail disappeared when he left. Ezra thought we could wait until the end of the month before sending for aid again. But the Black Churchers have gotten real tense the last couple of days, like something big is about to happen."

Though Josiah heard everything JD said, it was the familiar name he instinctively focused on. _Surely it's a coincidence. _"Ezra?" asked Josiah.

"Yeah, he's the," JD leaned forward, and then reached for a chain around his neck, fingering the pendant it held. Josiah and Nathan both felt the swirl of magic around them. And Josiah recognized the communication spell that would ensure that anyone listening beyond the circle of their table would only hear a garbled mumble. "He's the shadow agent that infiltrated the local Black Church coven. Not that I knew that at first. Warlord Travis and I were still trying to sort through Tynan's office when I got a drunk and disorderly complaint. We went to investigate, and, well, after some of the things he shouted at Travis I had to arrest him. Of course, once we got to my office, he was as sober as a deacon of the Unified Order. Started tossing out passwords and security clearance, wanting to know what happen to the backup he'd requested. That's when we figured Tynan might never have passed on any of Ezra's reports. From what Ezra said they didn't like each other much. Still, I don't remember him mentioning the Sunbirds as back up." JD's eyes narrowed in on Josiah's Sunbird priest badge. "Anyway, Ezra conned his way into a Black Church meeting months ago under the name Erik. And he's been working his way up the hierarchy ever since. He's got the names and descriptions of several dozen Black Churchers working here, in Menal, even some in the Capital."

"Hold on now," protested Nathan. "If he had that many traitors identified, why haven't there been any arrests?"

"Because he still doesn't know what they're planning. He said there's been a whole bunch of meetings with a lot of talk about 'Chaos is rising' and 'our time is at hand' but those in charge don't seem to want to share details with their underlings. Still, Ezra has learned a lot; he says that the Black Churchers have dug miles of underground mazes and several of them lead right through the Ward Wall. Using the tunnels they can travel back and forth to Chaos without ever being spotted by Imperial patrols or Chaos Riders. And they've worked some sort of deal with one of the demon tribes. Ezra said the bit he heard implied a trade of some sort, but he didn't know of what." Chris and Nathan both turned grim at the mention of the demons. Josiah, however, had another question.

"Could you describe Ezra to me?" he asked.

"Sure," said JD. "He's just a bit taller than me. He has green eyes, light brown hair and a medium build; seems to like wearing real bright colors, especially red and purple. And I've never seen him without his deck of cards." JD's description brought a smile to Josiah's face. "You know him," JD guessed.

Josiah nodded. "It's been a good number of years, but yes, I do believe that your Ezra and mine are one and the same. My own orders failed to mention any names, just a time and meeting location. I must admit I feel better knowing it is Ezra I'm going to meet."

As Josiah spoke, JD couldn't help but feel a little hurt that Ezra had never mentioned contacting the Church of the Sunbird for help. He had hoped that Ezra respected his abilities, and Ezra had at least seemed willing to give JD a fair try. But then he remembered Ezra talking about how information was bound to leak if too many people knew it. Ezra probably figured JD didn't need to know until a Sunbird representative arrived. Pulling himself back to the conversation JD heard Chris join in.

"Nathan, are you still planning on going with Josiah to his meeting?" Chris asked.

"Yes. Even if this agent if Josiah's friend, I figure he could still use someone to watch his back," decided Nathan.

"When you do get the new information from Ezra, bring it back here as soon as you can." Pulling out the amethyst crystal, he continued, "I've got a direct line of communication to Lachlan and his Lancers. And the way I see it, the more information we have before we go into battle the better."

Nathan nodded immediately. But Josiah hesitated. He assessed Chris for several seconds before he, too, nodded, giving his consent to the younger man's leadership.

"If we plan to make our meeting on time we should probably ready our horses," said Josiah as he rose. Nathan followed suit while JD mentioned finishing his circuit of the town.

Only Chris remained seated, offering a simple, "Good luck," as the group went their separate ways.


	2. Coming Together

The clear, starry night echoed with the sounds of bugs and nocturnal beasts, creatures that paid no mind to the passage of two men and their mounts. Josiah led with his red horse, Phoenix, while Nathan trailed on Unicorn. They moved slowly in deference to the dark, thankful that the road they followed was kept sound enough that leading the horses was, at least so far, unnecessary. They were several miles from town and very near their destination. In fact, they had entered the valley that led to Elders Canyon about a half mile back. The rising canyon walls would soon block what little light they had from the moon. Yet, Josiah was hesitant to light a torch, be it magical or mundane. It would be spotted far too easily by anyone near the ridges.

This was not the sort of meeting place he would have expected from Ezra. He was the sort who, ironically, hid by making himself the center of attention. Clandestine encounters in wild settings hardly seemed his style. In all honesty, Josiah knew he shouldn't be trying to place assumptions on Ezra. After all it had been nearly nine years since Josiah had seen him last, and almost fifteen since the time he had spent as Josiah's ward. A small grin pulled at his lips as Josiah recalled the two years when he had pretended, at least in his heart; that the boy he cared for was his son. Well, it appeared that fate was bringing them back together. Josiah prayed the Sunbird wouldn't let it be so, only to pull them apart again.

Noticing that it was now nearly impossible to see the ground Josiah pulled up his mount and signaled to Nathan that they should walk the rest of the way. It was better than ending up with a horse with a broken leg.

"Our rendezvous should be on the other side of that outcropping," whispered Josiah, pointing to a group of boulders on the path ahead. "Are you sure you don't want to wait here?"

"You think I'm going to stand around with the horses while you march off into the unknown?" Nathan hissed back incredulously.

"Just offering, my friend," replied Josiah, the whites of his teeth flashing for a second in the gloom. They ground tied their horses. Then paused as Josiah muttered and gestured, creating a communications spell that would dampen the noise made by the movement of their armor. Josiah hoped that he was right and it was the Ezra he had known so well that was meeting them. But until they saw him and confirmed the informant's identity, caution was necessary.

Nathan took the lead now because his Chaos eyes granted him much better night vision. Moving slowly while scanning their surroundings, he spotted the markings of a recent passage. The tracks looked to be from not one, but two riders leading mounts. Signaling the new information to Josiah in hand code, Nathan then readied one of his daggers. After all, better safe than sorry. Nearing the outcrop, Nathan lowered himself to his belly. He knew that potential watchers were far less likely to notice things at ground level than at 'man' height. Nathan peered around the rock and easily spotted the man next to a tiny flickering lamp. The man sat quietly on a fallen log, toying with a pipe in his hand. And perhaps such a scene should not have worried Nathan so. But the man did not match JD's description of average height and medium build. He would be better described as tall and rotund. There was also a notable absence of the person who left the second set of tracks. Nathan slowly slid back under cover. He motioned Josiah close to whisper what he saw. "I don't know who that fella is but he sure doesn't look like JD's shadow agent. And I can't see any sign of the other person. This feels like a trap, Josiah."

"We don't know that. In fact, right now we don't know anything," said Josiah. "That other set of tracks could have been from a random traveler making his way home. And now that I think about it, I probably jumped to conclusions when I assumed that Ezra would be here. According to JD, Ezra was contacting the capital through Tynan. But, I'm quite sure Bishop McNally said that the informant approached the Church of the Sunbird directly. That isn't something a shadow agent would do. My point is all that we have right now are questions. And the only way to get answers is for me to go through with this meet. Now, I want you to wait here. Don't argue with me. You can watch from cover and rush to my rescue if things go bad. Agreed?"

Nathan nodded, unhappy but accepting.

Josiah stood, straightened his cloak, and walked forward towards the dim light. He strolled into the small clearing calmly and slowly. Giving the stranger an opportunity to assess him and even retreat if he chose. Instead, the man only sat up straighter, giving Josiah a chance to read his meager badges. His sash held only two; the first, a brown crest of a Tarris native, and the second, of a journeyman carpenter. From the man's face, Josiah judged him to be in his mid-thirties, which was rather old to be only one rank above an apprentice. The fact that a mature adult wore no other badges to proclaim skills or even hobbies told Josiah that the man was either pathetically lazy or hopelessly incompetent. Neither quality encouraged him to trust the stranger. Josiah stopped about eight feet from the plain-faced man and waited for him to speak.

"You the Sunbirder mage?" asked the man, before spitting a bit of chew over his shoulder.

Josiah sighed in frustration. Those had not been the words he was hoping to hear. "Tis a dark night for a weary traveler," Josiah intoned the prearranged code phrase.

"Oh, oh yeah," stammered the man, apparently remembering the coded signal only after Josiah's prodding. "But even the darkest nights can be light for the just." He spit again. "So, are you the Mage?"

Josiah began to pray for both patience and acceptance. It was hard to conceive that this man might hold information vital to the Empire's survival. Perhaps the Sunbird saw something in him that Josiah could not. Aware that his cloak covered his mage badge, Josiah said, "I am Josiah Sanchez of the Church of the Sunbird. And your name is?"

"Call me Wood. You the mage?" he asked again.

"Does it matter if I'm a warrior or a mage?"

"Does it matter!" croaked the stranger. "If you ain't a mage, you can just turn around and march back to your Temple in Herkoplis. I ain't gonna cross Marquay without a strong magiker on my side."

"Marquay?" asked Josiah, taking a step closer.

"Yes, Marquay! He's the crazy warlock who started all this, and he's gonna get us killed if he ain't stopped. Look it ain't no secret that I hate the Rank Laws." Wood's voice became thick with disgust. "How all them know-it-all masters expect me to crawl on my belly begging for the privilege to wear their apprentice badge." Wood shook himself from his tangent. "But even I ain't stupid enough to try and make friends with Chaos Demons."

"Which demons has Marquay been in contact with?" Josiah's mind was already racing through possibilities. If Marquay was responsible for the army massing at the Glass Cliffs, how was he planning to get them past the Ward Wall? Even the tunnels Ezra reported to JD would be useless since the magic of the Wall was known to travel thousands of feet into the ground. Some rumors claimed it continued on to the very core of their world. But only the Wall Warders knew for sure.

"Are you crazy?" demanded Wood, refocusing Josiah's attention. "They were demons! What was I suppose to do, walk up to one and ask him his name?"

"Were you close enough to describe what they looked like?" asked Josiah. He was beginning to wonder why the man had come forward as an informant when he seemed to loath sharing information.

"They were hairy and ugly," said Wood.

Josiah sighed again. He could easily name a dozen different demons that could be described as such.

"And they had three eyes," Wood added. "It weren't natural."

Josiah swallowed his comment about the likelihood of something natural coming from Chaos. He decided to be thankful that the mention of three eyes would positively identify Marquay's allies as Storm demons. Now he needed to assess Marquay's powers as well as his following in the Black Church. "You called Marquay a warlock. Just what sort of spells have you seen him work?"

"Oh, no; you ain't getting anything else from me until you prove you're a mage," insisted the informant. "And flashing your badge ain't good enough. I want to see a spell; something impressive. I ain't risking my neck for some second rate spell caster."

Josiah tried to quell his simmering anger. It was insulting to be ordered to perform tricks like a trained hound. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed Wood's knowledge, he'd show Wood exactly how the Sunbird dealt with laggards and fools. "So you want me to start throwing fireballs, here, out in the open, where anyone could spot us." Josiah's comment was half question.

"Ain't no one gonna see us," insisted Wood. "Marquay's got them Churchers in some meeting. I'd be there too, but I snuck ipecac into my lunch tea. None of them wanted me at their meeting after I hurled on their shoes. Yep, I fooled them good," Wood, crowed with a dingy grin. "So, go on. Show me what you've got."

Unwilling to put too much faith in Wood's tactics, Josiah first cast a detection spell. The wave of magic had no noticeable effects, visual or otherwise, to any but a trained magic user. But for Josiah the invisible pulse signaled the presence of three people in a fifty-yard radius of his location. Counting himself, Wood and Nathan, who was still hiding but had moved a bit closer, Josiah was reasonably reassured. Clairvoyance was far from his strongest magic college. He was much better at working Combat and Communication magic. Still, he was skilled enough in the basics to be fairly certain of his immediate surroundings.

"Well, what's taking so long?" groused Wood. "Where's my lightning bolt?"

Discarding the rather amusing image of Wood on the wrong side of a lightning strike, Josiah said, "Patience is a virtue that few possess and even fewer properly employ."

Wood's face scrunched in confusion. "Does that mean you can't do it?"

"No," snapped Josiah, momentarily losing control of his temper. Gathering himself he continued, "I believe I can satisfy your concerns without alerting the local populace with lightning and thunder."

"Well, do it already!" demanded Wood gruffly.

Josiah stared at him, taking a moment to decide which form of spell was most likely to make Wood piss his pants. He started with a soft throaty chant that called the magical energies to him. A series of hand gestures brought forth a visual manifestation of the magic. What began as a diffuse cloud of blue mist quickly took the shape of a glowing Drasacor, more commonly known as a Mist demon. The phantom's flowing cloak failed to hide its gaunt eight-foot frame or its insect like limbs and wings. As terrifying as the image was, it was, in truth, inconsequential to the spell Josiah was casting. The basic Combat enchantment would toss several half-ton boulders around while a companion Concealment spell would silence the noise and vibrations such movements would cause. Josiah chose Mist demons because not only were they horrifying in appearance but their favored attack involved tossing boulders. This allowed him to tie the illusionary demon's actions to the spell effect. He needed only to add a few ear-piercing screeches to the deception and Wood was certain to be convinced of Josiah's abilities.

It was not until Josiah had already tossed his second large boulder that he caught Wood's avid gaze, not on the illusionary Mist demon, but on him. At the same time he realized that he was tiring much faster than he should. The explanation, a leech spell, came too late. Josiah felt the energies of the opposing spell grow exponentially, feeding off of Josiah's magic, and then his life force, as exhaustion became debilitation. The last impression to float through Josiah's mind as he lost his grasp on consciousness was Wood's leering grin.

The man who called himself Wood moved to stand over Josiah's crumpled body. "Ain't so high and mighty now, are you, Sunbirder?" Wood spit on his victim. "You thought you were smarter than me; better than me. But I'm the one who's still standing. And you're just demon vittles." He kicked Josiah in the side. When the lack of response failed to satisfy him he pulled his leg back for another swing. But his foot never made its connection, stopped with the last beat of his heart as a razor sharp dagger plunged through the center of it.

Nathan moved forward cautiously, with two more daggers balanced lightly in his hands. He didn't for a second believe that that scum Wood was capable of the complex spell casting required to overpower Josiah. Nor was he willing to dismiss the second set of tracks he had found earlier. There was, or at least had been, someone else here: Someone powerful. But Nathan wasn't about to leave Josiah alone and vulnerable. He continued to scan his surroundings even as he knelt beside his friend to check for signs of life. The relief he felt at the steady rise and fall of Josiah's chest was quickly overrun with various warring questions: Where was the architect of Josiah's ensnarement? How could Nathan heal or even stabilize Josiah's condition without triggering the leech spell himself? Why go to so much trouble to trap a Sunbird priest in the first place?

"Two for the price of one;`` what a pleasant surprise," The mocking voice came from the left and just a bit behind Nathan's current position. The first dagger was flying before he had confirmed a target. The second following in its wake was more precisely aimed at the man's heart. But both blades were halted inches from their target, apparently trapped in mid-air. "A healer mage who is also a master of the flying edge. How unusual." The man moved closer, letting Nathan see him clearly. His height was perhaps 5'10" and he had fair skin and brown hair that was starting to gray. Perhaps most revealing were his milky white Chaos eyes. The cloak he wore hid all other mutations. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Chaos Riders are so much more versatile than their Imperial brethren."

"Maybe you should leave before I find a way to use my versatile skills on you." Nathan's threat was 98% bluff, but he had to try.

The wizard chuckled. "I did not go to all of this trouble just to toss aside my prize catch. I'm sure that you're quite good at what you do, but it is clear that your comatose friend is a more powerful spell caster than you. And it is equally clear that I am a more powerful spell caster than he. So why don't you stop the posturing and surrender gracefully."

"I don't know how you hid yourself and your spells from Josiah's detection. But I do know the act of a coward when I spot one. If you want to know what I see clearly, it's that you didn't have the guts to face Josiah in a fair fight," retorted Nathan. Even as he spoke he searched desperately for some weakness in his opponent's barriers. But all he found was invulnerability.

"Poor Fool," taunted the man. "Are you suffering under the delusion that life is fair? I would have expected Chaos to destroy such fantasies. No matter, I have more important things to do than quibble with you over morality and tactics. I think it's time for you to go to sleep." Nathan tried to raise a barrier, but his construction magic was sucked away before it even had a chance to fully solidify. He made a final attack at the wizard, but his last dagger didn't even travel half the distance required. Its light 'tink' was followed by a much louder 'thump' as Nathan succumbed to his rival's sorcery.

* * *

><p>"Soon the glory of Chaos shall shine all across the Empire!"<p>

Even hours after they were spoken the words still echoed through Ezra's mind, and not just the words, but their tone and volume. As if a second wave of Chaos was something to be greeted with jubilant anticipation. Ezra shook his head, hoping to fling away the clinging memories. _Only you, Ezra, son of Standish, _he thought to himself, _would intentionally surround yourself with such willful stupidity._ Still, he couldn't deny that he was the one who, when approached by Shadow Agent Targin, had volunteered to perpetrate this, the ultimate con.

Not so long ago Ezra had still been wandering from town to town, using his skill at gambling to survive. Many small towns would accept visits from a Master Gamesman like himself if only to enjoy a diversion from the expected monotony of life. Yet it seldom took more than a week or two for most to grow tired of losing their hard earned wages. Ezra's mother, Maude, would no doubt lecture him that the best profits were earned in big cities with confidence schemes, not gambling in small towns and villages. But Ezra, who preferred not to be hung for fraud, confined himself to more legal moneymaking activities. In fact, one of his best sources of income was to approach a community's constable or town council, and with their consent, offer classes to the populace on how to spot cheats and con artists, for a small fee of course. The lessons were generally well received and Ezra had been invited to return to several communities. He had also received letters from two Constables who informed him that his tips had saved several families from financial hardship and in one case led to the arrest of team of con artists. No doubt they had cursed Ezra's name all the way to the gallows.

Then a messenger tracked him down bringing news of the death of Baron Bradach, Ezra's second stepfather. Expecting little more than a few books in inheritance, Ezra's main concern was for the Baron's last blood heir, Breelin. How would Bradach's already orphaned granddaughter cope with the loss of yet another loved one? A steward and a lawyer greeted his arrival at the Tarris stronghold, Tarhold Estate. The lawyer gave Ezra a copy of the will and a letter left by the Baron. According to the will, Ezra was not only the new owner of Tarhold Estate and a town home in the capitol, Herkopolis, but he was also now a titled Baron. The letter explained that Breelin, now happily settled with her husband, Duke Darren, had no wish to take on the duties of a barony or the estate that came with it. So Bradach settled a country retreat, in Garik and a few family heirlooms on Breelin, and left the rest of his wealth to Ezra. After all, Ezra had been not only an intelligent and attentive stepson, but also a loyal friend of the family even after Maude moved on to greener pastures. Bradach had even added an addendum to the will to ensure that Maude would have no claim.

After inspecting his new holdings and moving his meager belongings, Ezra went to visit Breelin in Herkopolis in an attempt to adjust to his new status. Breelin was eager to introduce her "Uncle" around court. And Duke Darren was surprisingly willing to accept Ezra presence despite his decidedly shady past. Ezra tried to return their hospitality by restraining some of his more malicious gaming tactics. After all, it wouldn't do to financially ruin any of Darren's political allies. He also made it quite clear to any who challenged him, whether it be cards, dice or some other sport of skilled chance, that he was a master gamesman and they challenged him at their own risk. The combination of both his skill and his charisma made him quite a popular guest at the many parties held around the capital. Ezra even found himself, for the first time in years, playing for the fun of it. But the thing that surprised Ezra the most was that within a few weeks of entering his new life he found himself to be bored. It just didn't make sense. He was independently wealthy, a landowner who could afford to live off the bounty of his estate even as he spent the majority of his time chasing idle pursuits. All of his life he had imagined the things he would do when he finally reached his goal of prosperity. Yet now that he was actually doing those things, he found them to be not only idle, but also frivolous and empty. Uncertain how to remedy the situation, Ezra sought council from Breelin and Darren. Breelin immediately suggested he open his own business, reminding him of his childhood dream of owning 'the finest gambling establishment in all the Empire'. Darren suggest that he seemed to have a natural gift for teaching, and by combining that with his Games Master badge he could easily open a small private school. He could offer lessons on various games of chance and skill and educate people on how to prevent themselves and others from becoming taken advantage of. Both ideas held some appeal but neither seemed more compelling than the other. So Ezra decided to give himself until the turn of the New Year to consider the pros and cons.

For New Year's Eve, Ezra was handsomely dressed in a silver jacket with white, emerald-accented pants, the perfect garb for attending his first Royal Ball. Joining his step-niece and her husband, they had all entered the Palace ready to welcome in the Year of the Griffin.

They entered on the southeast side of the Imperial Ballroom. Ezra was most immediately impressed with its size. To call the ballroom huge was a vast understatement. Next to them on the south wall, as well as on the north, there were long lines of tables bearing every kind of food he could imagine, including a few he hadn't known existed. The east wall consisted of giant pillars reinforcing a glass wall. Several glass doors led outside to the snow covered gardens. It was the center of the west wall that held a dais containing one large chair and four smaller ones. Behind the chairs was a set of bronze doors embossed with the Emperor's crest. The expansive white marble floor's sole decoration was the onyx Imperial crest in its center. Intricate tapestries hung on the north, south and west walls. Magic light radiated from crystal chandeliers reflecting entire constellations on the glass barrier to the east.

On the dais the Chamberlain appeared, dressed in the prerequisite silver and white. He held in his hand a wood staff shod in steel. Pounding it against the marble twice to gather everyone's attention, he announced the Royal family: Emperor Thetys V, his mother Dejanna, brother Crown Prince Lan and finally Princesses Eriat and Nassia.

Caught in the middle of their teens, Prince Lan and his twin sisters looked like they could just as easily be attending a school dance as a royal ball. Though Lan, the royal heir, carried himself with some maturity, it was clear that none them had yet abandoned their youth. Emperor Thetys had not yet left his teens, himself, but something in his eyes told Ezra that he would be both fierce and resolute in the protection of his Empire. The Emperor stepped forward to speak, welcoming all to the first New Year's Eve Ball of his reign. He quickly declared he'd forgo the typical long-winded speech to begin the celebration at once. Leading his mother onto the dance floor, Thetys signaled the musicians to begin the Ceremonial Dance.

A crash of thunder erupted in the heart of the ballroom, its shockwave knocking most to the ground, leaving even the strongest on their knees. In its epicenter a black fog formed into a horrifying creature. Its cloak was a ragged, mossy thing, its head a pattern of silver and white flesh pulled taunt over its own bones, and its eyes were the very embodiment of decay.

Ezra quickly moved the lady he had been preparing to dance with behind him, and wished desperately for the small dagger he usually secreted up his sleeve. He was moderately surprised to hear the Emperor order the party crasher to leave. He wasn't sure he'd be so brave standing before that monster.

Ezra glanced towards Breelin and was relieved to see that Darren, who because of his years of service as a Chaos Rider was permitted to wear a ceremonial sword, had drawn his blade and moved into a ready crouch. Yet, when he surveyed the rest of the ballroom he recognized only a dozen others who had gathered themselves enough to identify the threat. Most of that dozen were Chaos Riders, though three looked to be Imperial soldiers. Everyone else appeared too shocked or afraid to take action. A dozen warriors, even battle-hardened Chaos Riders, couldn't hope to defeat such a powerful sorcerer. In fact, Ezra was quite certain that only one being could intrude past the palaces many physical and magical barriers. The creature before him could only be Fialchar, Lord Disaster, the creator of Chaos. Ezra missed the initial exchange between Fialchar and Thetys, but when the Emperor stood to face his foe, Ezra heard Thetys again order Fialchar to leave.

Fialchar refused, instead commanding the musicians to play him a tune. When the musicians set down their instruments in defiance Fialchar cast a spell that left all of them unconscious, causing one poor fellow to fall off the landing to his death. The instruments rose up, enchanted, to play a wicked, shrieking melody. Fialchar swirled his staff in a circle. As he did Ezra felt a wave of crippling weakness wash through him. The second pass of Fialchar's staff brought a tensing of muscles. A third pulled Ezra's muscles taunt to the point of cramping. From the moans and cries heard from other men, Ezra knew he was but one of many who suffered. The ladies seemed to be untouched by the spell, at least physically. Ezra's dance partner, _wasn't she the daughter of a wine merchant,_ had collapsed into a sobbing heap of hysteria. Breelin, however, had taken up her husband's sword and now held it in an awkward and probably futile attempt to protect herself and her loved ones. The Forth swing of the staff made it impossible for Ezra to observe anything but his own agony. Every muscle in his body locked, while his back and neck bowed in torment.

Fialchar gestured with his left hand and a hundred gold threads flew from his fingertips arching the foreheads of the women. Eyes glazed over, and the ladies as one began the Ceremonial Dance. Their movements at first were mechanical, but quickly became more relaxed and then turned blatantly erotic.

Ezra felt the pain ease throughout his body and was overwhelmed with thankfulness for Fialchar's mercy. _No! That's not right._ Fialchar was the source of his pain; he should hate him, not thank him. Yet, when Ezra accessed his rage he found it directed not at Fialchar but at the other men in the room, for they were staring lustfully at the ladies, his ladies. _How dare they?_ Didn't they realize these females moved only for him? Their seductive spins and wanton arches were a mating dance. And each lady here was vying to be the first to win Ezra's favor. He would sample them all before the night was through, and rip out the throat of any male that interfered. _No! No! It's wrong again._ These weren't his thoughts. They didn't belong in his mind. But try as he might Ezra couldn't separate his thoughts from the deviant ones. Then a barely heard chant whispered past him.

" . . . all is lost, brave heart have you, and evil's thrall will then be through!" (*1) Suddenly Ezra found himself on his knees, listing heavily to the right. He was still trying to regain his equilibrium when he saw the golden threads that held the women in thrall sever and flail about as the women collapsed. He scrambled to catch his dance partner before she hit the ground.

When he looked up he saw not the dozen Imperial mages he expected, but a lone man standing defiant before Fialchar. The man looked even younger than the Emperor, perhaps eighteen. And his dress and ceremonial dagger clearly marked him as a warrior not a mage. It was also clear that Fialchar was more than a bit surprised by the fledgling warrior's audacity. But instead of attacking his challenger he turned back to the Emperor and declared he'd return in a year to claim the throne.

For the second time that evening Ezra was knocked off his feet by the shockwave of thunder. Upon regaining his feet, Ezra could find only a scattering pillar of smoke with a flickering green flame at its base. Ezra quickly escorted his dance partner back to the security of her parents and then returned to Breelin and Darren. After meeting Darren's eyes he had no doubt that Fialchar's spell had worked its corruption on all who attended the ball. He didn't even want to think what poison had been forced into the minds of Breelin and the other women. The magnitude of Fialchar's violation was simply too staggering to contemplate. Needing to move past the profane thoughts still muttering in the dark corners of his mind, Ezra asked Darren, "Did you recognize the man who stood against Fialchar?"

"Yes, his name is Lachlan. He's the youngest son of Cardew. It would appear he may have his father's talent for foiling Fialchar's machinations," answered Darren. Then he looked to his wife. "Breelin," he started.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you pledged your life to the Empire long before you pledged your heart to me. And right now the Empire needs you." Breelin finished with a kiss on his lips.

Darren adjusted the grip on his sword, turning to offer the handle to Ezra. "I noticed you were one of the few people ready for action in the initial seconds after Lord Disaster's appearance. And I'd feel better if I knew Breelin was well guarded in my absence. I should be home by dawn."

Ezra froze for a second as the significance of Darren's request raced through his mind. Darren had shown great willingness to welcome Breelin's 'uncle' into their family despite Ezra's lack of true blood ties. But there was a great difference between inviting someone to dinner and giving them your sword. Especially for a former Chaos Rider, who would be unlikely to trust those with unproven abilities. Both honored and humbled Ezra accepted the hardened steel and promised, "I'll do my best."

He offered Breelin his arm and escorted her towards the crowded exit. There were several healers both magical and mundane who moved through the crowd offering what assistance they could. Ezra also noticed the Empress and her daughters trying to give reassurance to the shell-shocked revelers. The Emperor and his brother/heir were notably absent as were several of his most valued advisors. No doubt they were, even now, planning counter measures while debating the 'appropriate response'.

Hours later, after Breelin had retired to her rooms and the staff had retreated to their quarters; Ezra sat in the study with ink and paper, making notes as he recalled the events of the evening. He had scratched out his impressions of Fialchar, made an assessment of the reactions of various guards, soldiers and warriors, and puzzled over the rather startling lack of a magical reply from any Imperial mage. True, Fialchar was old, experienced and quite probably the most powerful sorcerer in either Chaos or the Empire. But with clairvoyance, as one of the eight collages of magic, surely someone somewhere should have had some warning.

Movement outside instantly brought Ezra to his feet. He followed the noise towards the front of the house and waited silently in the shadows of the front hall. His weight balanced evenly on the balls of his feet and the sword held loosely in his left hand. The sound of a key entering a lock was somewhat reassuring, but it wasn't until Ezra saw Darren lead another man into the house that he left the shadows to return the blade to its master. "Breelin is upstairs sleeping though I'll make no guarantees to the restfulness of her dreams."

"Thank you, Ezra. Allow me to introduce Targin. Targin, this is my wife's step-uncle Ezra. Ezra, would you be willing to stay up a bit longer? Targin has a proposal for you." Ezra's eyebrow arched in surprise, but he nodded. Darren led the way back to the study. Noticing the papers Ezra had created he asked, "May I?" At Ezra's nod he started to read. Ezra settled into a chair and Targin sat on the settee across from him.

"We don't usually approach people in this manner," began Targin, "But obviously after this evening's disaster, we need to re-evaluate our methods. The Lord of Shadows has sent me to recruit you as an Infiltration Agent."

"I wasn't aware that the Lord of Shadows even knew of my existence," Ezra's voice held more than a bit of disbelief. Lord of Shadows was the title of the Law-lord, the person who controlled the Empire's internal security. Constables and their deputies who protected towns and cities, and Rangers who patrolled the forests and mountains all served under the Lord of Shadows. Spies and counter spies also worked at this lord's behest. Who the Lord of Shadows was remained a mystery to most. Only the Emperor and a few trusted councilors knew his or her identity. The policy of secrecy had been in place for almost two hundred years, after the assassination of two Law-lords in as many weeks. Now it had become something of a game at court to guess who might be the true Law-lord.

"Actually there are records on you from various Constables and Agents back to your early childhood. Your mother has never been convicted for her more ambitious cons, but we were still aware of many of her activities. Her use of a child in those scams was hard for many to swallow. In fact, one Constable had begun procedures to remove you from her custody when she chose to leave you with a Sunbird Priest. In truth, I think your father's career and the manner of his death made the way you were being raised that much more difficult for many of my badge to accept."

"What about my father's career as a failed gambler or his death in a bar brawl would make my admittedly unconventional upbringing difficult to accept?" asked Ezra. He didn't see why Targin would mention a father Ezra couldn't even remember when seeking to entice Ezra into a dangerous new line of work.

Targin for his part looked equally confused, "A failed gambler?" Then understanding seem to dawn. "I think we may have underestimated Maude's ability to manipulate the truth."

"Well, you wouldn't be the first," assured Ezra.

"Sir, your father was ranked as a Master Gamesman just like yourself. It's true that he didn't make his living by gambling, but that isn't because he couldn't. He simply preferred to work as a constable."

"I suppose, next, you'll tell me he didn't die in a brawl," Ezra's voice had become dangerously quiet.

"I brought with me a copy of every file or notation made on you and your family. Your father was the constable of the town of Purgatory. It's located on the border between Tarris and Menal, near the Ward Wall. The last contact between him and his superiors was a request for soldiers. He said he had located a Black Church stronghold in an abandoned building just outside of town. By the time his back-up arrived he was already dead. They found his beaten body in the believed stronghold, but his murderers were never caught." Targin handed over the files for Ezra to examine.

Ezra quickly located the papers regarding his father. He scanned them for several seconds before speaking. "And now the Lord of Shadows wants to offer me a position infiltrating the Black Church," Ezra guessed.

"Yes. Your experience with confidence schemes can only work to your advantage. You're calm under pressure, we saw that tonight." Targin explained.

"And how did you see that? I did nothing," insisted Ezra.

"You observed the threat, sought potential allies, gathered information and waited for the right moment to act. That Fialchar was too canny to provide such an opportunity is not your fault. 98% of the work of an infiltration agent is observation and intelligence gathering. Then you relay your knowledge to us and let us eliminate the threat."

"Assuming, of course, that your people can respond with the appropriate urgency," countered Ezra. Knowing that a slow response had led to his father's death, Targin accepted Ezra's implied criticism in silence. "So I get the privilege of surrounding myself with traitors and murders, while having no one and nothing but myself to count on for weeks and possibly even months at a time." Raising his gaze to meet Targin's he said, "I'm in. Where do I sign?"

"No," interrupted Darren, "Targin, forget you heard him say that, at least for now. Ezra, we've all had a rather intense couple of hours. You need to take some time, at least a day, to consider this seriously. If you feel the same tomorrow Targin can show you what steps should be taken next. Agreed?" Ezra nodded and went back to examining the files. Targin excused himself.

In the end, the extra day of thought didn't alter Ezra's decision. So, here he was months later, wishing he were anywhere else. He had already passed on the names of many traitors. He had created maps of their underground tunnel networks and made lists of their supplies and weapons. Yesterday, he had finally learned the true name of the Black Church wizard who had led this church cell. But he had found it impossible to get away long enough share Marquay's identity with his contact. Hopefully there would be a chance to sneak away before dawn. JD was usually quite easy to tract down.

The door to Ezra's tiny room flew open and Blain rushed in. "Erik, I have wonderful news! Marquay has selected us to prepare the sacrifice. Isn't it wonderful?"

"What sacrifice?" asked Ezra as he struggled to slip back into his Black Church persona.

"Well, he wasn't specific but I do know it's to be a gift for our Chaos brethren." Blain's angelic smile was at odds with his words. "All of our hard work is being paid off. Marquay has recognized our loyalty and is rewarding us for it."

Securing his sword, daggers and cloak Ezra said, "Then it is best if we don't keep Mage Marquay waiting." _Time to bring this con to its close._ The two men left the room.

* * *

><p>Josiah tugged weakly on the manacles and chains that held him. The cell he shared with the still unconscious Nathan was incredibly small; four foot squared at best. Its size made it impossible to stand or stretch in any comfortable manner. The cold, smooth rock that surrounded them had long since sucked the last remnants of warmth from his body. The manacles and chains that imprisoned both his wrists and ankles were secured to a glowing anchor ring imbedded in the middle of the floor. Nathan, who was also chained, was slumped awkwardly against one of the walls. No doubt he'd been in the same position since they'd been dragged to their cell. Josiah's one hesitant attempt at magic had resulted in the manacles on his wrists doubling in size, showing clearly that they were spelled to siphon off magical energies and use them to their captive's disadvantage.<p>

Josiah's thoughts were torn between the rage he felt for his jailer and the anger he directed at himself. Nathan had tried to warn him. But Josiah's insatiable quest for knowledge, the apparent link to the demon army and the implied urgency of the whole situation had all combined to make Josiah act in haste. And that buffoon Wood had certainly baited the trap well, with just the right mix of knowledge and incompetence. Josiah wondered for a moment how much truth there had been in Wood's story about Marquay. It seemed to fit so well with everything that was happening. After all, why bother to lie when the truth will get you what you want? It had certainly been enough to get Josiah to drop his guard. Marquay was probably the one who created the capture spell. Josiah was more than a bit peeved that his own detection spell had been so utterly useless. But it was for Nathan's imprisonment that Josiah truly cursed himself. He shouldn't have disregarded Nathan's concerns.

Josiah wasn't even sure why Nathan had been taken. If their jailer had wanted to eliminate a witness it would have made more sense to kill him and hide or destroy the body. If this was part of a vendetta against the Church of the Sunbird, Nathan was clearly not a member. The only clue Josiah possessed was Wood's repeated demand that Josiah prove his mage abilities. It was possible that he only wanted the Sunbirder to trigger the trap. But Josiah had cast several low-level spells without ill effects, which indicated that only a fairly powerful mage would have fallen victim. And Nathan, despite his occasional self-recriminations, was a gifted healer. What he lacked in schooling, he more than made up for in natural talent. So Wood and his cohorts, probably Marquay, had sought to capture a high level mage and ended up with two.

The next question was, what were they planning to do? It was unlikely that they thought they could turn either man against the Empire. Despite a few legends depicting good people falling victim to mind control, the truth was such spells were not only extremely difficult but also quite limited in their effectiveness. The best of these could confuse or seduce a person, but someone of strong will or focused thought could often counter such enchantments. It didn't even require magic to do so. When Fialchar had cast his spell on the assembly at the Royal Ball, the only true case of magical mind control reported in the last fifty years, he had clearly been trying to flaunt his power. Yet it hadn't taken another Mage to break the spell. It had merely taken an eighteen-year-old, who upon realizing that his thoughts were being tampered with had found refuge in a child's rhyme against evil. Focusing all his thoughts on speaking the rhyme had broken Fialchar's control over him and created a cascade effect that had freed all the partygoers.

No, in all probability Marquay was planning some mighty, and draining, spell. Spells required energy from the spell caster, the more powerful the spell the greater the energy drain. Marquay might hope to offset the drain to him by using a leech spell of some sort to funnel Nathan and Josiah's energies wherever he wanted them.

A moan from Nathan interrupted Josiah's thoughts. It appeared his friend was finally rousing. The chains jingled as he tried to stretch into a more comfortable position. When the manacles stopped his movements mid-stretch Nathan's eyes jerked open and his muscles tensed, ready to fight.

"Easy now, Brother, best to save that for our enemies," said Josiah. "It would appear that I allowed Wood to capture both of us, and for that I apologize my old friend."

"There's nothing to apologize for. You can't protect the Empire and her people without taking risks," insisted Nathan. "Besides, it was my job to rush in and rescue you if things went bad. I managed to kill Wood, but I was downright useless against the mage."

"You saw Marquay?" Josiah straightened a bit. "What were your impressions? What sort of a wizard is he?"

"Powerful, arrogant, he didn't tell me his plans if that's what you're hoping. But he did seem pleased to have two of us captured," described Nathan.

When he saw Josiah's features darken, he asked, "Does that mean something to you?"

"I've been thinking out our current situation and the most logical reason for a magic user to kidnap other magic users is if he or she were planning a spell of such magnitude that they couldn't hope to fuel the spell and still survive," said Josiah.

"So you think he's going to use our energies to power his magic? Josiah we can't let that happen. Who knows what he's going to do. With that demon army massing he could be planning to take down the Ward Wall and let them march right into the empire. We've got to stop them." Nathan tone was becoming increasingly upset.

"I know, Nathan, I know. We still have our wits, even if we don't have our freedom. If we can remain aware of our surroundings we will be more ready to act when an opportunity arises, though I wouldn't be offended if the Sunbird were to offer us a bit more concrete assistance." For the last part Josiah raised his eyes in plea to his patron deity. As if in answer, there was a sudden muffled noise just beyond the wall to Josiah's left. The cramped quarters and too short lengths of chain made moving into a traditional fighting stance impossible. But both men did their best to maneuver into a position next to each other that was at least somewhat defensible. The wall before them seemed to turn liquid as it parted down the middle then drew pack on the sides. The anchor ring that secured their chains began to slide forward towards the opening, dragging an unwilling Josiah and Nathan with it.

The light in the new chamber, so much brighter than the dull glow they'd grown used to, momentarily blinded both men. When a set of hands grabbed his arm, Nathan instinctively began to struggle. Several arcane words were spoken and the manacles binding Nathan's wrists slammed to the floor. Nathan was able to twist his body a bit but his hands were locked into place. As vision returned, Nathan saw his right sleeve pulled up and his own dagger cut a line from his wrist to his elbow. He couldn't contain his gasp of pain, and it seemed to intensify Josiah's struggles beside him. As another set of hands tempered his struggles, a challis was placed just bellow his wrist to catch the scarlet flow. The same procedure was repeated with his friend even as Josiah shouted every Sunbird curse he could think of.

"Your cursing won't help you. The truth is that even if your God did bother to listen, it wouldn't act. I learned long ago, the Gods simply don't care. All that nonsense about divine retribution is just propaganda to keep the cattle in line. Thank you, Doarg." The leader, whom Nathan recognized as the mage from the valley, accepted the challis from one of his underlings. "Since you were unconscious the last time we met, Brother Sanchez, I will introduce myself. I'm Marquay, wizard and servant of Chaos. You shouldn't feel too bad about not detecting me earlier. I've managed to hide myself from the City of Sorcerers for almost twenty years. You really had no hope of finding me until I wanted to be found."

"Yet, your current actions, the kidnapping of a Chaos Rider and a Sunbird Priest, are sure to draw a lot of attention. What can you possibly hope to gain?" demanded Josiah.

"By the time your absence is noticed in the capital it will be too late to help anyone," assured Marquay.

"You're going to pull down the Wall somehow, and give free rein of the Empire to all those demons," accused Nathan.

"You flatter me. Even I couldn't bring down the entire Wall. Besides, a little crack or two is all we need to let our demon allies seep through. How did you know about our army anyway?" wondered Marquay. "Are you one of escaped Chaos Riders that I heard about?" Taking Nathan's silence as confirmation, Marquay smiled. "See this is yet another example of how Chaos works even within the Empire. Having circumvented the demons and reached the Empire you should have been safe, but instead you were taken in your own stronghold. Taken to be turned over to your enemies." Marquay tone turned malicious, "Once my spell has drained you of nearly all of your magic and life I will be giving you to Storm War Queen Tsvala as a gift. And, if you harbor any fantasies about escape let me assure you, now that I have your blood there is nowhere you can go that will keep you safe from the draw of my magic. As a bit of mercy on my part I will tell you that your end will come in a little under one cycle of a day. You should make what peace you can in the time you have left."

The soft scuffling of boots behind Marquay brought attention to two new arrivals. "Blain, Erik, you're just in time. Our guests will need to be stripped and bathed. And don't forget to clean and bandage their wounds; it wouldn't do for them to die before they have outlived their usefulness. Doarg, you will stay and guard them until they are returned to their hole. Keep them chained to the ring and these commands," Marquay handed him a slip of paper, "will move them where you wish. The ring draws its magic from its prisoners so you don't need to worry about them getting too frisky. I want them clean and presentable when I give them to Tsvala. The rest of you are with me." Marquay turned with a swirl of his cape, but bumping into one of the new arrivals marred his attempt at a dramatic exit.

"My most humble apologies, Sir," drawled the cloaked figure, "I should have moved out of the way faster." Marquay stared at the man for perhaps a second or two before he continued to depart. When the door closed the two new arrivals finally pulled back the hoods of their cloaks. Josiah had to struggle for a moment to maintain a suitably impassive face.

"Are you going to strip them here or do you want me to move them over to the well first?" asked Doarg.

"I'm not sure," quibbled Blain. "What do you think, Erik?"

The other man lowered himself into a crouch examining the captives much like a spider watches its prey. "We should probably tend the wounds first. There's no point in cleaning them up if they're just going to bleed all over themselves again."

"Good idea, Erik," Blain agreed enthusiastically. He promptly leaned down beside Josiah and began to wipe away the blood with the end of his cloak. When his friend tried the same with Nathan, Nathan jerked away.

"Don't you touch me," shout the Chaos Rider.

"It looks as though I may need a bit of assistance," decided his tormentor. "Doarg, would you mind?"

"Not at all," Doarg said as he tucked the paper into his pocket. He was only too happy to put a servant of the Empire in his place. With a crushing grip Doarg grabbed Nathan's shoulders and held him immobile. "How's this?" he asked giving Nathan a violent shake. "Is he where you want him now?"

"Indeed," was the reply from beside him. A second later Doarg felt a hand grasp his shoulder and a burning pain slice up under his ribcage and into his chest. Doarg had time to do little more than gurgle before he died.

"Erik! What have you done?" cried a shocked Blain. Josiah took advantage of Blain's confusion and swung his legs into the back of Blain's. The chains around his ankles hindered his movement, but it was enough to knock Blain off his feet. As he fell backwards his head struck the stone wall with sickening thwack.

Nathan turned to see their remaining guard frisk Doarg's body. Pulling out Marquay's paper, he said, "Every command but release. Well, I guess it's a good thing that I liberated the key from Marquay. By the way, Josiah, how did you end up in such a sorry state?" As he spoke he unlocked the manacles around Josiah's ankles and wrists.

"Would you believe me, Ezra, if I said I was looking for you?" Josiah's question caused both men to chuckle. Nathan let himself feel a small glimmer of hope.

* * *

><p>Vin, son of Tanner, Elvin native of Kasir and Chaos Rider scout, crept forward several inches before settling; his prone form melding seamlessly with the barren landscape. He had moved no more than a few feet in the last several hours. In part, because his perch near several large boulders was about as close to the Glass Cliffs as one could get without being on the glass itself. Personally, Vin preferred to avoid the razor edges and piercing tips, not to mention the fact that its reflective surface would often give your location away to your opponents. Another reason for Vin's still surveillance was the steady flow of demons passing him on all sides. The canine Storm demons, multi-limbed ape like Hob demons, and Vin was certain he had seen the reflection of at least a dozen Flame demons lower down the cliffs. Then about three hours ago, Vin had witnessed a clan of Storm warriors lead two wounded Viper demons towards the cliffs. They had taken a winding path through the jagged glass to a sleek precipice. There the group waited near a cluster of dark, glossy tunnels. After a few minutes, a Storm War Queen approached the injured serpents. She placed something on their crested heads and then began to talk to them in a series of growls and barks. The Viper hissed a reply and the War Queen barked towards a near cave. Seconds later, an Elf, clearly a Black Churcher, joined the group. She healed both of the Vipers' injuries then offered them freshly slain mutton. When the creatures had eaten their fill they were given safe passage back to their territory.<p>

Part of Vin had wanted to leave right then and get word back to the Empire. After all, this was what he had set out to do. He had wanted to find out how many demon tribes were involved in the alliance and after watching then for an entire day and night he felt he had a good idea. The heart of the alliance was between the Storms and Hobs. There were Flame demons involved but not in any great numbers. And the Vipers had been contacted but hadn't brought in troops yet. But, another part of Vin whispered that there was more to learn, more the Empire needed to know.

He hadn't intended to take on this dangerous scout, but things never went as intended in Chaos. Vin had been returning from a deep Chaos recon when he happened upon the tail end of a battle. In the distance, he could see three Chaos Riders riding hard as both Storm and Hob demons chased after them. Vin figured the poor devils must have somehow stumbled into a demon skirmish. Hearing a bit of noise nearby, he cautiously moved forward to investigate. He spotted two Hob demons stripping the bodies of three other Chaos Riders. From the amount of burn markers and blood, both human and demon, it was clear that quite a battle had been fought. Once Vin was certain the Hobs were alone, he leapt forward, blades out, silencing the Hobs before they could voice a single screech. A wet gurgle behind him caused Vin to spin. His eyes met those of a Chaos Rider who was still alive, if just barely. The warrior reached for Vin. Vin took a quick glance around to confirm that there were no more demons, then moved to the man's side. He gently placed a discarded saddlebag under the man's head in an attempt to make him more comfortable. He didn't bother trying to stop the bleeding. Vin was no healer, and even if he were the injuries were so serious and numerous that it would likely take several healers to properly repair the damage. The man before him was going to die, probably within a matter of minutes, and they both knew it.

"Chr- . . . Christopher escape?" the question was half demand, half plea.

"I saw three riders being pursued from here. They had a good lead and it seemed to be getting better." The man's relief was obvious so Vin didn't add that the Riders had been cut off from the Ward Wall and were heading deeper into Chaos. "Have you got a name, Pard?"

"Jon. Bella and Silva were others." Jon motioned weakly towards the bodies near him. Fumbling in one of his pockets Jon pulled out a small velvet bag. He stared at it for a second before pressing it into Vin's hand. "For my lady Gwen . . . in Kasha. Bella's saddlebag . . . pictures for her girls. And Silva . . . enchanted flute . . . sell for orphans' fund."

"I understand," assured Vin. "It will all be taken care of."

"Bring the others . . . closer. I'll finish it." as Jon spoke a small flame jumped from his fingertips. "Won't . . . be demon fare."

"Are you sure?" asked Vin. He knew what the man was planning was sure to make his last seconds pure agony. Jon just nodded, his eyes falling closed. Vin moved the bodies of the fallen Chaos riders to Jon's side. He took the pictures from the dead mount's saddlebag and pulled the flute from its place in Silva's belt. He also took a coarse hair-string decorated with demon claws from around Bella's neck. It wasn't as valuable as an enchanted flute but it would still bring a fair amount of coin in the empire. There were always those who wanted 'genuine Chaos souvenirs'. He would see the coins got to Bella's daughters. Once the bodies had been moved and the personal effect collected Vin reached over to Jon and gently shook his shoulder.

"Must warn . . . the Empire," Jon roused with a hoarse whisper.

"It's okay, Jon," soothed Vin. "Three of your pards got away. The Empire will know what happened here."

"Not enough," gasped Jon desperately. "If Chris is caught . . . Empire must know . . . demon alliance!"

The last two words made every muscle in Vin's body clench. Vin raised his eyes to the surrounding battlefield once more. He had assumed that his fellow riders had accidentally crossed paths with two already warring demon tribes. But now that he examined the arena of combat he saw several points that were inconsistent with his previous assumption. The Hob bodies lacked the distinctive wounds made by the thick sabers that Storm demons favored. Nor were the Storm bodies pierced with spears or crushed with clubs as Hobs usually fought. Then there was the placement of the bodies. Instead of the Hobs coming from one direction and the Storms another, it looked as though the demons were mingled together with all of their violence focused on the Chaos Riders. _How was this possible?_ Vin shook his head. In Chaos, the impossible was not only possible it was commonplace. How was irrelevant.

"I understand," said Vin. "One way or another, the Empire will be told of the alliance." His assurances seemed to set Jon's mind at ease. "You've fulfilled your duty and shown purpose for your life. I'm honored; to be granted your last words." Vin spoke from the traditional Elvin last rights. He didn't know what words humans used under such circumstances, but Jon didn't seem to mind.

"You should move back," whispered Jon. His face took on a sudden glow of defiance. "I intend . . . to go out with a bang."

Vin rose to his feet and gathered his belongings. "I'll be close by until it's over," said Vin. Too many Riders died alone and un-mourned. Standing vigil was an easy thing to do.

"Not . . . too close. Demons drawn by . . . flames," warned Jon. Vin nodded an acknowledgement. Vin could see Jon's lips continuing to move but the magical chant was too quiet to be heard. For almost eight minutes Vin stood in silent regard, protecting Jon and his lost companions while the young warrior mage gathered the strength for one final spell. One moment Jon was chanting his spell, the next all three were consumed by a giant ball of fire. There were no screams, so Vin hoped that meant that Jon had died while casting the spell, before the flames engulfed them.

Knowing the flames would indeed draw unhealthy attention, Vin began to move, covering his tracks as he went. He probably should have headed straight for the Ward Wall. The majority of the demons in the area would be chasing Christopher's group and Vin knew he could sneak past the few that remained. What if there was more to be learned? There were places into which an individual could sneak that a group couldn't hope to go. The more information the Empire had the better prepared they would be for the threat.

So it was that Vin crept, evaded and crawled his way deep within the demon stronghold. He had left his horse several miles back in a closed valley. The mount was reasonably safe there since few could scale its sheer walls. The entrance to the valley was blocked with boulders and only a mountain goat, or Chaos mutated goat-horse like Peso, could get into the valley.

A flurry of movement on the precipice brought Vin back to the present. The Elvin mage was exiting one of the tunnels again, this time in the company of another mage. He looked to be an older human, maybe in his fifth decade. And the Elf mage was clearly deferring to him. The couple was approached by the Storm War Queen, who carried on an exchange with the head mage before motioning others to join them. Two Storm mages and a Flame demon approached. The larger of the Storm mages gestured and storm clouds began to form. Seconds later the small cloud was producing rain wind and small bolts of lightning; all the while the human mage watched closely. After several demonstrations the Human began to mimic the Storm mage, creating a duplicate storm. Vin could see a crisp red tint to the spell effect, which could only mean Chaos magic, something that all Imperial mages were forbidden. When they were done with their storm clouds, the Flame demon moved forward. It began to make the flames on its body shift and grow in different directions. This time it was the Elvin sorceress who copied the demon's magic. This was not good. Vin couldn't remember ever having heard of Imperial mages actually using Chaos magic. Then the Human started making lightning bolts and fireballs, this time using shimmering blue Imperial magic. Soon the demons were following his lead. He was teaching them Imperial magic!

It was time to retreat. Vin had to pull back and get word to the Empire. The level of magic being used was far beyond his ability to combat. Swift, yet elusive, Vin took the next several hours to work his way back to Peso. Once the two were rejoined Vin headed due south. It would be a hard ride, straight for the Ward Wall.


	3. Escapes and Captures

Ezra finished unlocking the manacles around Nathan's limbs only to re-secure them around the ankles and wrists of an unconscious Blain and the now dead Doarg.

"I hope our presence isn't putting you in too much danger," said Josiah.

"I believe that it is Mr. Marquay's presence that puts me and so many others in jeopardy. Speaking of which, are you capable of neutralizing the connection between yourself and the blood Marquay has taken?" As Ezra asked this, he continued to work. He stripped the cloaks off of Blain and Doarg. And used Blain's sash to wipe away the blood from Doarg's wound. Across the room Nathan had been in the process of retrieving their weapons, but he stilled to hear the more experienced mage's response.

"Capable, yes, but it will involve rituals that will take several hours to complete. Marquay will probably know this. When he learns that we've escaped he'll likely move up his plans to ensure that I don't have time to finish those rituals," admitted Josiah.

Ezra nodded thoughtfully. Glancing again at the scrap of paper Marquay had left with his guard; Ezra spoke the word "withdraw". The glowing anchor ring pulled the two men's bodies into the cramped hole in the wall. It moved slower than before since it only had one life to draw its energy from, but soon they were in place. A bit of shoving and the limbs were forced to fit. "Confine," said Ezra, and the wall sealed. Turning back to Josiah, Ezra asked, "What if the challis was emptied somehow?"

"Well, pouring the blood out wouldn't be enough. It would have to be cleansed of all traces of our blood, preferably with alcohol or a cleaning fluid of some sort. And the blood itself would have to be disposed of in a manner that would make it impossible for Marquay to retrieve it," explained Josiah.

"I'll deal with the challis, but first we need to get the two of you out of here." Ezra shook out the two cloaks he had just filched. "These will probably be a bit small for you gentlemen, but it's the best I can do on short notice."

"Now wait just a minute. Nathan and I aren't going to leave you here by yourself. When our escape is discovered Marquay will know that you're to blame. We should all leave now," said Josiah as he accepted his weapons from a silent Nathan.

"No," said Ezra. "The blood in that challis needs to be destroyed, and not just because it will be used to suck both the magic and the life from the two of you. Without access to your blood and hence your magic, Marquay will be forced to either power the spell himself and risk his own death, or postpone, for at least a little while, his plans to break the Ward Wall. Besides I need you gentlemen to assist with another task. Marquay has insisted that the members of the Church of Chaos Encroaching be present for his 'grand triumph'. Many, too many, of those members have brought their families into the tunnels. That includes children whose only crime was being born to the wrong parents. Just imagine what will happen to them if Marquay succeeds and Chaos demons pour into the Empire through these tunnels."

"They'll be slaughtered!" exclaimed Nathan. The danger of their situation was the only thing that kept him from cursing Marquay and the Black Church at the top of his lungs.

"Precisely," agreed Ezra. "I need the two of you to escort the children out of the tunnels. A wizened crone by the name of Nettie has agreed to provide safe haven to any children I send her. Meanwhile, I will find the challis and wash away all traces of your blood. I'm well trusted by most here and no one will question my movements. By the time someone discovers Blain and Doarg, I will be in Four Corners with Constable JD calling for reinforcements."

"Son, I don't like leaving you here with no one to help you." As soon as the words were out of Josiah's mouth he wished he could recall them. The last thing he wanted to do was restart an old argument. But Ezra didn't react with his typical sarcastic anger.

"Josiah, you should realize I'm a long way from the child you once protected," Ezra spoke with a resignation that indicated he was not proud of the intervening years. Nathan, now rearmed and somewhat disguised in Blain's too short cloak, waited patiently as the two men spoke. It occurred to Nathan that this was hardly the ideal location for a long desired reunion. But, having lost his mother and suffered a long estrangement from his father, Nathan could understand Josiah's need to reconnect.

"True," admitted Josiah. "I had so many hopes and expectations for that child." At Josiah's confession, Ezra seemed to shrink a bit. Locking his gaze on Ezra, Josiah added, "but the man I see before me has far exceeded those expectations and what's more, he has done it on his own."

Ezra was absolutely still for a moment as he absorbed the compliment. A second later he straightened, bringing himself back to the situation at hand. "Then you'll trust me to deal with the challis while you safeguard the children." Realizing that Ezra wasn't going to budge, Josiah nodded his acceptance. "Good," said Ezra, "Now that you have rearmed yourselves, I believe we should vacate the premises. Be sure to keep the hoods of your cloaks up. We don't want to attract unwanted attention."

Ezra opened the door a crack to check the hallway. Seeing it was clear he motioned for the others to follow him. Josiah and Nathan both tried to keep track of the twists and turns they were taking but it was not easy. Josiah had the feeling that Ezra was taking them through side passages to avoid the main corridors. The architecture of the tunnels was much like a typical mine. Dirt and rock surrounded them, broken only by support beams and a few rough doors. Ezra stopped them at an intersection, saying, "Stay here." He swung around the corner and moved several feet to a door. Knocking twice he opened it saying, "Please excuse my interruption, ladies, but Teresa's particular experience is required by the smithy." Since the women inside knew of Terry's training by her father, a locksmith, they merely said goodbye promised to save a meal for her. Closing the door Ezra led Terry back to Josiah and Nathan.

"We're getting the children out?" asked Terry before Ezra could begin introductions.

"Yes," said Ezra. "Gentlemen, this is Teresa, more commonly known as Terry. Teresa, Josiah and his friend will protect you and the children should someone discover you before you achieve your freedom. We need to get moving before the next shift change."

"What I'm wondering is, what time is it? We've seen lots of people moving around but it feels like it should be the middle of the night," said Nathan.

"It is the middle of the night. Could you sleep if you knew the Ward Wall was about to be opened?" countered Terry. She was a blond with fair skin and gentle eyes that seemed very out of place in their dark burrow.

"I suppose not, Ma'am," agreed Nathan. "I'm Nathan Jackson." He extended his hand. After they shook, Josiah did the same.

"Marquay has been keeping everyone on rotating shifts. There are always tunnels to be dug. He insisted that our 'demon allies' will need them for a successful invasion." informed Ezra. He led the group back the way they came, and then veered into a side shaft to the left. Halting once again he asked, "Are you ready, Miss Teresa?"

"For Olivia, I'm ready for anything," she responded. Then she approached another door. Opening it she greeted a Glynis and stepped inside.

"How did Terry get involved in this mess?" asked Josiah as the men waited in the hall.

"Terry lost her husband about a year ago to a riding accident. Since then she's lost their land and stock to one of the less reputable cattlemen in the area. She was reduced to begging handouts to feed her daughter, Olivia. She was seriously considering following her father's career as a safecracker. Then a scoundrel by the name of Riordan promised a safe home for her and Olivia in exchange for completing a series of locks. It wasn't until they'd moved into their new dwelling that Teresa realized that not only was she working for the Black Church, but that she had taken up residence in their stronghold. She parroted their views so they wouldn't see her as a threat, but Riordan still doesn't trust her. Despite, or perhaps because, he was the one who manipulated her cooperation, he's been quite paranoid about her loyalty to the cause. The few times Terry's been permitted to leave the tunnels, Riordan has made sure that Olivia was forced to stay behind."

The door opened and Terry motioned them to join her. Inside they found a bound and gagged Glynis and fourteen children ranging in age from fifteen to just a year. A young brunette held Terry's hand and glared fiercely at the two strangers. Despite the difference in hair color Josiah found enough of a resemblance to conclude that the girl was Terry's Olivia.

"Gather round, and listen close," said Ezra, squatting down to the children's level. "I've told you all that I would find a way to keep you safe and I have." As he spoke the youngest toddler tried to climb onto Ezra's arm. Ezra settled the boy on his knee and continued. "Miss Teresa, with the assistance of my friends Mr. Josiah and Mr. Nathan, will escort you all to the residence of Ms. Nettie. She will keep you safe from both the demons and their foolish allies."

"What about Egan?" asked the nine-year-old, redheaded Evan.

Ezra glanced to Egan's best friend Riley. Riley explained, "Egan's father insisted it was time he prove his loyalty to the cause and start digging in the tunnels."

Ezra hid his dismay and said, "I will try to find Egan later but right now all of you must leave. Now, I'll expect the older children to help the little ones along. I need all of you to be quieter than church mice. Go gather your things and don't forget the special slippers we made to make our feet extra quiet." Ezra handed the toddler he held to one of the older girls, and then rejoined his peers. "This is a map of the tunnels I've been able to explore thus far." He unrolled the soft leather hide. "We're here now." Ezra pointed out there location. "You'll need to turn right when you leave this room, continue until a T-intersection, and then turn left, followed by another right. Teresa knows most of the route so there shouldn't be a problem. I've hidden a small wagon and a couple of horses about one hundred yards due east of the exit. From there you can follow the stream right to Nettie's."

"I really don't like the thought of leaving that Egan boy behind," said Nathan. "It don't seem right that he's gonna suffer for his parents' choices."

"Mr. Jackson, there are over fifty children scattered throughout this maze. It simply isn't possible to save them all." Ezra spoke in a business-like tone.

"So what, you're not even going to try to help any others? What gives you the right to choose who stays and who goes?" demanded Nathan. He had seen literally dozens of Riders, trained in both battle and magic, brutally slain by the Storm demons. He simply couldn't accept leaving innocent children unprotected in their path.

"Nathan," Josiah tried to think of something that would calm his friend.

"Do you think I want to leave any child here to be sacrificed to Marquay's insanity? The simple fact is that I didn't pick them. They picked me. Many of the children here have expressed doubts about The Black Church's goals. Those that haven't had at least one parent who did," said Ezra. "As for the children not here, most of them would probably raise the alarm if we were to try to rescue them." Nathan looked ready to refute him but he never got the chance.

"It's true, Sir," said the oldest boy, Riley. "My brother's out in those tunnels digging right now, digging because he wants to help the demons overrun the Empire. Both of our parents are Black Churchers. I don't know why he grew up believing what they said when I don't. I just know that if he thought we were trying to stop the demons he'd probably try to gut us himself."

Nathan wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"You have to understand," explained Ezra. "Most of the children here believe their parents when they're told that the coming demon army is something to be celebrated. Just as I'm sure you believed the things your parents told you when you were a child."

"The children are all ready," said Terry.

Ezra handed the leather map to Josiah saying, "It is time for us to part company. I will meet you in Four Corners by dawn if all goes well."

"We'll be gathering at the Refuge. Be careful, Ezra." warned Josiah.

"Don't worry, Josiah," said Ezra, his grin causing his gold tooth to sparkle in the lamp light. "It will take more than a few Black Churchers to stop me."

* * *

><p>Ezra kept the hood of his cloak up as he traveled through the increasingly crowded passageways. Most of the people here would take little notice of him, but discretion was still the better part of valor. He was in a section of tunnels dubbed 'the Plaza'. It was a large, natural cavern dotted with stalactites and stalagmites. Every cave and tunnel in the Black Church maze connected to the Plaza in one way or another. It was large enough that a variety of workshops had been set up. There were even a few carts bearing foodstuffs. It was also the base of operations for the 'tunnel project'. Isleen, a stout Dwarf maid, was in charge. She was the architect of the labyrinth, having plotted out the best ways to disperse the demon hordes through the tunnels and into the Empire. Some of the caves went for miles, even passing into the providence of Menal. Others opened near streams or ended in the field of some poor unsuspecting farmer. The plan was that once the demon reached the caves there would be no easy way for the Empire to stop them. Even now, Ezra could hear Isleen directing others to lengthen the tunnels towards Kasha. Her workers were a mixed lot of Humans, Elves and Dwarves with a single Reptiad in their midst. Ezra had noticed that Reptiads were much less likely to join the Black Church, perhaps because their race had spent so many more years under the yoke of Chaos. Ezra made a mental note that a couple of the tunnels apparently exited near Kasha, and continued through the Plaza towards the tunnel reserved for Marquay and the other magic users.<p>

It never ceased to amaze him how many people were willing to fall for the Black Church's delusional dogma. It was a well-known fact that the demon tribes of Chaos were in a constant state of war. Yet, just moments ago Ezra overheard two dwarves discussing how nice it would be to share their land with their demon brethren. Did they truly expect the demons would take one look at the bounty of the Empire, drop their swords and take up farming? A couple of days ago an Elf had talked of hunting game with a Storm demon as he would with a hound. As if any demon would play the part of a docile pet. Ezra was quite certain the demons would continue to do the same things they had spent the last 500 years in Chaos doing. They would take what they wanted, destroy what they couldn't take and kill anything that got in their way. Ezra hadn't realized how hard it would be to hear such drivel yet not scoff, laugh or outright declare the speaker a moron.

It was true that the Black Church did have a few valid, though minor complaints. The ranking system was very rigid. There were also a few at the level of Master that abused the power their rank provided. But most Masters were reasonable people, and those who misused their rank often found themselves stripped of it. For the most part ranking rewarded those who were willing to put forth a good effort. It encouraged a strong work ethic and concrete results. Ezra was willing to admit that it got tiresome, having people judge him after a single glance at the badges on his sash. But the alternative the Black Church wanted to provide was anarchy, and that was unacceptable.

Taking the second tunnel on the northeast side of the Plaza, Ezra noticed the almost immediate absence of sound. It reminded him of the City of Sorcerers. Because so much of magic use required focus and concentration, the sparkling spires that housed the magic students were unnaturally quiet. No doubt some spell had been employed to block the clamor of the Plaza and let the mages work in peace. There weren't many doors in this hallway, only two on each side and one at the end. It was the room at the end that Ezra knew was Marquay's inner sanctum. Ezra examined the door looking for any obvious traps. Most people would be surprised by how many mages relied on mundane methods to protect their belongings. Seeing only an ordinary lock and knowing there was nothing he could do if it was protected by magic, Ezra slowly opened the door.

* * *

><p>Josiah and Nathan both traveled at a quick jog to keep up with the horses and wagon that Terry was driving. There was no way to tell where their mounts were: Marquay could have turned them over to someone else or just left them loose in the valley. Either way, they were on foot for the time being. The children were piled into the back of the wagon while Olivia and Riley rode the bench next to Terry. They had been traveling for almost an hour following the river just as Ezra instructed. Seeing part of a farmhouse through the trees, they came to a halt.<p>

"If you'll wait here, I'll make sure this is Nettie's place," said Josiah. Nathan nodded, while Terry shushed the children who had begun to chatter excitedly. Josiah walked up to the group of structures noting the wear on the buildings that indicated a working farm. The windows were all dark, not surprising considering the time of night. Knowing that few people would be tolerant of unannounced visitors after dark, Josiah decided to make his presence known. "Hello to the house. May a traveler approach?" He waited several minutes as a dim light appeared in one of the windows. A bit of mumbling could be heard and then the door opened. A figure moved through the entrance, stepping to the side so as not to be backlit. But Josiah had enough time to discern a small frame, white hair and a loaded crossbow. He waited patiently for the figure to make their move. Not that he enjoyed being a target, but he was the trespasser. As the clouds moved away from the moon, Josiah was startled by a twin reflection. Chaos Fire! Suddenly Ezra's choice of protector for the children made much more sense. He hadn't selected an old woman; he'd selected an old Chaos Warrior.

"So how can we help you, Stranger?" Nettie asked with the crossbow bolt aimed at Josiah's chest. "This is a mighty long way for someone to come on foot."

"My name is Josiah, son of Sanchez, Priest of the Sunbird and I'm here as a favor to a friend. He mentioned that you would be willing to provide sanctuary to some lost lambs."

Nettie examined Josiah critically. "You look a bit long in the tooth to be considered a lamb, Father Sanchez."

The all-too-accurate assessment drew a throaty chuckle from Josiah. "That's true, Ma'am. But I'm just here as an escort to the children. If you'll allow me to fetch the wagon?" At Nettie's hesitant nod Josiah headed back to Nathan and the others. Within a few moments the children were filing into the house.

"Cassie, start serving the biscuits and gravy. We need to feed the little ones before we move them down to the cellar. It's the only place I have that's big enough to hold them all where they won't be seen. It will just be for a couple of days. Now I want everyone to visit the wash room, too," instructed Nettie. Casey started dishing out hearty bowls of food while Terry lined up the children to relieve clean up before their meal. Nettie watched the children move about her house. They were huddled together in groups whispering nervous questions to each other. But they followed Nettie's instructions, surprisingly at ease with the gruff old warrior. Moving closer to Nathan and Josiah, Nettie asked, "Weren't their supposed to be fifteen children?"

It was Nathan who answered with a frown. "I'm afraid one of the older boys had been ordered to work in the tunnels by his father. Ezra was going to try to find the boy before he left. But I don't think it's likely."

Nettie nodded knowingly. "So Ezra is the real name of that gambling peacock. I don't mind saying I was a might hesitant to trust that fellow at first. But his worry for the children convinced me. How come he's not here with you? He said he'd lead the children out right before he called the army in. Did something go wrong?"

"No," said Josiah, "At least not so far. Ezra had an opportunity to stall the Black Church plans and felt he had to take it." Josiah didn't mention that Ezra was acting as much to protect the mages as slow the Black Church. He still felt more than a little guilty about the risks Ezra was taking. "We have plans to meet with him and a fighting force in Corners at dawn."

"Speaking of which," added Nathan, "We should move the wagon into the barn and unhitch the horses. They'll get us to Corners a lot faster."

"I can help, Sir," offered Riley. The two headed outside.

"Perhaps I can help, too," said Terry. "I noticed that Ezra's map lacked labels and warnings. For instance," Terry unrolled the map, "These three tunnels here are set to collapse if the army attacks. I don't know the twists and turns quite as well as Ezra but I'd be happy to mark what I do know."

"Well, if you think you're up to it. It might be best if you came with Nathan and me to Corners. We'll be meeting with a group of Chaos Riders and the local law. I'm sure they'd all like to hear from you, what's down in those tunnels. I know it's asking a lot, especially since you and your daughter only just escaped the Black Church. But right now we need to use every advantage available," Josiah persuaded with his deep voice.

Terry looked at Olivia munching biscuits at the table. "I'll go with you." Turning to Nettie she asked, "Is there anything I can do to help with the children before I go?"

Nettie shook her head, "I think these young ones and I will get along fine. And you can be sure that I'll keep your little girl safe until this skirmish is over."

* * *

><p>If this had been some legend or a Bard's tale, the challis which Ezra sought would have been hidden behind a secret panel or placed upon a dark alter. Instead, in Ezra's rather anti-climactic reality, the challis sat in plain view on a rather ordinary table next to a wardrobe. He verified that it was the right challis, still holding Josiah and Nathan's blood. Then he moved over a small drain near the wall. He wasn't sure which of the Churchers had put the sewer system in place, but he was thankful that they had. While not nearly as complex as one found in a city, it was sufficient to give sanitation and relief to those living in the caves. Ezra lifted the grate covering the drain and poured the blood down; the small but continuous trickle of water quickly washed most of it away. Then he pulled a hefty wineskin and a flask from beneath his cloak. With the flask he poured a high strength alcohol to wash out the challis, not once, but three times. He even went so far as to lay a lit match in the challis, allowing the flaming alcohol to burn away the last remnants of blood.<p>

* * *

><p>On the road just a mile out of Corners both Josiah and Nathan reined in their horses as they felt the slightest tingling in their bones.<p>

Behind Nathan, Terry asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, something is right. Ezra purified the challis. With a little more luck he should catch up to us in Four Corners in no more than two hours." Josiah didn't bother to stop the shine of pride on his face.

"Then let's get going," insisted Nathan. "The sooner we let others know the better I'll feel."

* * *

><p>When Ezra was certain the challis was clean he refilled it with red wine from the wineskin. It wouldn't fool anyone who looked at the challis too closely but it would probably pass a glance inspection. The rest of the wine went down the drain to wash away any blood still there. Ezra set the grate back over the drain and laid the challis in its spot on the table. Tucking away his flask and wineskin he examined the room to see if he'd left any sign of his presence. Satisfied with what he saw he headed to the door. Halfway there he heard voices, one of which he recognized as Marquay. Knowing he had only a few seconds to disappear he climbed into the wardrobe and hoped for the best.<p>

* * *

><p>In the early pre dawn hours the only lights in Corners were at the Refuge. Pulling up to the hitching rail, Josiah swung off first, and then helped Terry down, leaving Nathan to dismount last.<p>

"We were starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost or maybe eaten by a mountain lion," declared Buck from his pose on the boardwalk. Catching sight of Terry, both his voice and demeanor changed. "If I'd known you were going to be traveling with such a lovely young lady, I'd have gone with you. Ma'am," Buck stepped close to Terry, "my name is Buck and I want you to know that I am at your service: ready, willing and able to fulfill any desire you might have." He finished with a light kiss on her knuckles.

"Thank you, Mr. Buck. If you would just direct me to Constable JD." Terry's request caused Buck to still as just a hint of chagrin passed his face.

"Now, Ma'am, I don't know what problem you may have, but I'm quite sure that I could provide you with far more experience then that boy," Buck's tone was half exasperation, half plea. He couldn't believe that another woman was choosing JD's company over his. He was far more handsome and charming than that boy.

"I understand that Constable JD is quite young for his position. But my friend was positive that he was the one I should place my trust in," Terry was polite but insistent.

After a second of silence Buck pointed to Refuge's door. "He's the short dark-haired fellow sitting at the table with the blond haired Chaos Rider dressed in black."

Josiah and Nathan had by this time tied off the horses and loosened their girths. Taking their weapons off the saddles they followed after Terry. It wasn't until Nathan was at the door that his mirth broke through. "So Buck, are you coming in with us or is Inez still threatening to crack your skull with a whiskey bottle?" Buck spun towards Nathan with a growl, ready to show him just what he thought of Nate's comment, but Nathan was already ducking through the door.

Inside Refuge there was a surprisingly large crowd. Word had traveled fast and more than one Rider had left their home for a chance to campaign with the Valiant Lancers. A few had even come because they heard Christopher would be involved. JD was very aware that he was being granted far more respect than he usually received from the Riders, and it was because Chris had invited him to his table. JD had been honest earlier when he said he didn't know Christopher from Fialchar. But while he'd never met either person before today, he did know both indirectly. Fialchar was the evil specter of every horror story as well as the boogeyman many frustrated parents threatened their children with. Christopher wasn't quite so infamous but JD had heard four separate tales about his journeys in Chaos. The bards especially focused on his ability to intimidate even demons into backing down. JD wondered what it would be like to be feared by demons. The Riders seemed to part and between them walked Josiah escorting a young blond.

"Ms. Teresa?" asked JD as he rose, remembering Ezra's description of the young mother skilled with locks. Chris nodded to the newcomers but didn't stand.

"Only Ezra insists on calling me that. Please, it's just Terry." Terry had to admit that despite Ezra's warning about how young the Constable was, she was still surprised by his appearance.

"Is little Olivia okay?" JD's question relaxed Terry immediately.

"Yes, for the first time in weeks she's safe. Thanks to you, Ezra and these gentlemen," Terry replied.

"All I did was vouch for Ezra to Miss Nettie. Ezra did all of the arranging," said JD.

"Where is Ezra?" asked Chris.

"He had to complete one more task before he was willing to leave but he should be here by sunrise." Josiah pulled out a chair for Terry to sit at then laid out the map that Ezra had given him.

Chris held up a hand to stop Josiah before he started talking. Turning to the proprietress of the bar he said, "Inez, I'm going to need Buck back in here."

"I have no objections as long as it's okay with Constable JD." Inez's sweet tone belied her mischievous grin.

"I've got no problems," insisted JD. Inez left the bar making her way to the door.

Chris stood up and immediately the noise level dropped a bit. Chris looked over the Riders congregated and spotted several that he knew and respected. "Fergus, Sheehan would you join us for a few minutes?" The Dwarf and Elf had just settled into chairs when Buck sauntered up.

"You wanted me, War Dog?" Buck's use of Chris's old nickname was a subtle indication of a mental change. He'd ceased to be the carefree charmer and was now a focused and deadly warrior.

"We've got a battle coming," replied Chris, "and we don't have much time to prepare."

* * *

><p>The door opened and Marquay motioned for his companion to precede him into the room. "I must admit, Ena, our plan is working out better than I had hoped. With two mages to draw from, there will be more than enough power for our spell requirements." Marquay stepped into his small, sparsely furnished room. Most mages of his ability had far more possessions. But Marquay saw little need for anything that did not help him forward his goal.<p>

The first time he had stepped into Chaos he had recognized its cruel beauty. Yet it wasn't until he was back in the Empire that he realized its true power. Numerous mages had spent their lives building and maintaining the Ward Walls to keep Chaos out. But the truth was, there wasn't a wall that could be built that could contain Chaos. Chaos was in unplanned pregnancies and unexpected deaths, in illogical hatreds and frivolous loves. Chaos manifested itself in weather, in the roll of dice and most especially in man. Decades ago, Marquay had heard a Chaos Rider refer to leaving the Empire as 'leaving the womb'. That one simple phrase made Marquay realize that the Imperial Ward Wall wasn't protecting humanity. The new races of man were waiting to be born and the Ward Wall was preventing their birth. The Empire was stifling its people by applauding conformity and praising mediocrity. At the same time it was labeling the extraordinary as freakish and evil. He knew then that the Black Church was right. It was Chaos that would push the races of humanity to evolve into something greater. Marquay's current plan was only the first step in bringing that evolution to pass. He didn't have the rosy view that some Churchers held. He knew that their actions would create a high death toll. But he viewed it as a necessary culling of chaff. People would either adapt, or be swept away for the useless creatures they were.

Marquay hung his cloak on a hook by the door, and then took Ena's to do the same. Ena was tall and slender as was the nature of her Elvin heritage. Her once dark eyes now bore the milky sparkle of Chaos Fire thanks to her many trips to Chaos via the tunnels. Her pale skin remained unchanged but her black hair had taken on several flattering red streaks. That her hair had also become as stiff as steel was something that few realized. Ena was born the eldest of twins. Her sickly younger sister had been born with a malformed arm. Ena had lost count of the number of children who called her sister a mutant, or Chaos spawn. It was the intolerance of others that started her on her path. But soon she realized there was a certain thrill to breaking the rules simply because you could. And Marquay encouraged the Churchers to experiment as long as it didn't interfere with their long-term goals.

"I'm still not sure that we'll be able to create a breach in the Ward Wall even drawing magic from the Sunbirder and the Rider," worried Ena. Capturing them was a big risk and she wanted to be sure it was worth it.

"That's because you're not aware of our other advantage. Some years ago, during one of my own forays into Chaos, I found the ruins of a sorcerer's keep. It held many useful trinkets and books, some of which I sold to finance our cause and others that I kept to expand my knowledge beyond that which the City of Sorcerers teach." Marquay passed his hand over an ordinary section of wall. A second latter an indent appeared and in it was a ruby capped wand.

"You found this in the ruins?" Marquay nodded in answer to Ena's question. "That means this is older than the Empire and Chaos," Ena whispered in awe.

"Indeed. I learned that what we now consider Chaos magic was once just as acceptable as Imperial magic. Mages simply chose the style they were more comfortable with. The sorcerer that made this wand was, well I guess you could call him magically ambidextrous. As such the wand can switch from Imperial to Chaotic magic almost instantaneously. It can even, under the right circumstances, work both types of magic simultaneously."

_Thunk!_ Inside Marquay's wardrobe Ezra was cursing himself. Listening in on Marquay's conversation had seemed like a good idea. But what he had heard had so shocked him that he'd momentarily forgotten where he was. Now he not only had a nasty bump on his head, but he was also quite certain that Marquay had heard him. Deciding that the best defense was a good offense, Ezra launched himself out of the wardrobe. He had traveled perhaps three feet when bolts of red electricity overtook him. He curled into a fetal ball in a vain attempt to ride out the pain. Ezra was too crippled to look and see what Marquay was doing but seeing the challis thrown near his feet gave him a clue.

"Ena, check on our prisoners immediately!" Marquay ordered. Ezra heard the door hit the wall and rebound shut seconds later. Fingers threaded through Ezra's hair and his head was jerked back. "Erik, I do believe that you're going to regret your actions before you die." An increase in the intensity of the electrical current drove Ezra into a black oblivion.

* * *

><p>Ezra's map was spread out on the table. Next to it was a duplicate that Terry had marked with the various living quarters, weapon holds and booby-trapped passages that she knew. Unfortunately, there were several tunnels that Terry had never seen; she could provide little information about them. Determined to help as much as possible, Terry searched her memory for every scrap of relevant information.<p>

"So all three of these passages lead into Chaos?" asked Chris as he pointed to the three north most tunnels.

"Yes, but they go through the Plaza before connecting with the tunnels that empty into the Empire" explained Terry.

"Why are you so worried about the tunnels?" asked Sheehan. "We need to focus on the demon army. Let the Imperial Reserves deal with the Black Churchers."

"No, if the Churchers know we're on to them," his eyes flicked over Nathan and Josiah, "and they probably do, then we need to assume they'll act now, before the Imperial Reserves have time to mobilize a large force against them."

"Then we should attack them now!" countered Sheehan, pounding his fist against the table. Disdain filled his voice as he added, "They're only Churchers."

"Only Churchers," began Chris in a deceptively quiet voice, "have not only planned but also executed numerous tasks all designed to give access of our realm to demon hordes. Only Churchers massed a coven of unprecedented numbers without raising any suspicions. Only Churchers carved out a demon highway right beneath our feet," Chris pointed to the passage that ran under Corners, "And not one of us noticed a thing. If we don't stop underestimating the Black Church we're going to find ourselves overrun by Chaos."

"You think they can bring down the Wall?" asked Fergus. The black haired Dwarf had been quiet up until now, smoking his pipe and listening to the others. Instead of answering him Chris looked to Josiah.

"What I gathered from Marquay was that they only planned to tear a rift large enough to march the demon army through the Plaza entrances." explained Josiah.

"I know a bit about Wall magic," spoke up one of the Riders. "The second a rift is created the Wall Warders in the City of Sorcerers will be alerted."

"Yes," agreed Josiah, "Those same Warders will cast a detection spell to find the location of the rift. Once they have pinpointed it to be some hundred feet," Josiah looked to Terry for conformation.

"One hundred and nine feet," clarified Terry.

"One hundred and nine feet below the surface," continued Josiah. "They will likely down grade the priority of its repair. After all, there aren't any known demon tribes that burrow that deep. I'm not saying that it will be ignored, just that it won't be attended to as quickly as, say, a surface rift. By the time the City of Sorcerers realizes that the rift isn't a natural occurrence Marquay will have used his magic to support the hole making it much harder to close."

"Why not contact the City of Sorcerers so that they can strengthen the Ward Wall before the attack?" asked a lithe doe-faced Rider.

This time it was JD that responded, "Mr. Chris and I tried to update the capital about the Black Church involvement a couple of hours ago. The only ones we could reach were Kasha, Purgatory and the Valiant Lancers. They were all having the same communication problems that we are."

"Marquay probably had this planned all along," speculated Josiah. "A communications blackout will make it that much harder for the Empire to respond. And it likely won't be noticed for several more hours." All were aware that few people used communication crystals in the wee hours before dawn. Josiah believed that Marquay had probably preformed the rituals for the communication spell months ago. Marquay had no doubt marked the area he wished to be separated from the rest of the Empire and then left the spell dormant. There it had waited until the moment Marquay chose to activate it.

"The only people we can count on to help us with this fight are the men and women in this room and the Valiant Lancers," said Chris. His words had a sobering effect on the crowd.

JD glanced over the faces of those in the room and was surprised to find one face that despite its Chaos Fire didn't belong. "Riordan!" Terry stiffened in recognition. JD was on his feet and aiming his crossbow before a plan had formed within his mind. Unfortunately, Riordan seemed to have equally attuned reflexes. He dodged behind one of the Riders and tried to escape out the door. "Dang it! Somebody, stop him!" shouted JD as he pulled up his crossbow and tried to give chase. Several Riders made grabs at the man, but he seemed to dance easily past their fingertips. JD was less than half way across the room, but Riordan was already stepping out the door. Riordan disappeared through the entrance only to reappear seconds later as he flew backwards into the saloon. After landing in a stunned heap on the floor he was easily restrained by Buck and another Rider.

"Did someone shout for a hand with that fellow?" asked a lanky, leather clad Rider.

"Yes, thanks," JD pulled out a pair of shackles as he approached the traitor. "Riordan, I'm arresting you for treason."

Terry watched the capture with a combination of awe and relief. Riordan was the one who had so sweetly charmed his way into Terry's trust; offering free food, shelter, and a home that Olivia would be safe in. He spoke of a commune, of which he was a member, where everyone was appreciated for who they were, not the rank badges they wore. Riordan assured her that her locksmith talent would be both valued and respected. All the while, a voice in Terry's mind whispered 'you never get something for nothing'. But Terry allowed her desire to provide for Olivia to overrule any misgivings. When she later confronted Riordan about the true nature of her cavern home and new employers, Riordan had laughed quite mockingly. He had then pointed out that if Terry were foolish enough to go to the authorities, she would not be well received. After all, to admit membership in the Church of Chaos Encroaching was to accept a death sentence. To give aid or comfort, which Terry had done however unknowingly, was mandatory jail time. Olivia would be sent to an orphanage and forced to bare the stigma of a traitor's child. So Terry had kept quiet, every day her horror mounting as she learned more of the Black Church's plans. By the time Ezra approached her, Terry was willing to accept going to jail as long as the Black Church was stopped. Her only request of Ezra was that he would see to it that Olivia was cared for if she was sent to jail. Ezra's assurance that he would made Terry feel as though she had finally woken from the nightmare Riordan had imprisoned her in.

JD, meanwhile, started to search the prisoner and with Buck's help, relieved him of his weapons and a communication crystal. "You won't be using this to update your Black Church friends." JD pocketed the crystal before securing the leg shackles.

"He might not be updating, but I've got a bit of Black Church information that I'd like to share," drawled the newcomer.

"I'd certainly like to hear any intelligence you can give," said Chris, stepping forward. "I'm Christopher and this is Constable JD. What can you tell us?"

"My name's Vin. I take it from the size of this pow-wow that you've already spread the word about the demon alliance?" Chris nodded in confirmation. "Well, I was able to sneak up real close to their base of operations, the Glass Cliffs. I'd put their numbers at about 2000 Storm demons, another 1000 Hobs." Vin's words brought more than one curse of dismay. "There were Flame demons, but I only ever saw a dozen or so. And, it looked like they were working out some alliance with the Vipers before I left. I can't give you any numbers for them." Chaos Riders shifted nervously as Vin continued. "But I'll be honest with you. The demon war host didn't scare me half as bad as the magic lessons."

"Magic lessons?" asked Josiah.

"I saw two Black Churchers and several demon mages giving magic lessons to each other. The Churchers were learning Chaos magic and the demons were learning Imperial magic." Even as he spoke, Vin had to suppress a shudder.

"That's sure to destabilize the spells woven into the Ward Wall. Especially if both forms of magic are directed at the same location at the same time," speculated Josiah, as much to himself as to the others filling the saloon. "There's no way of telling to what degree. It would depend on the abilities of the mages involved, the type of rituals Marquay has prepared. There are just too many variables."

"Could you counter their magic?" asked Vin. It seemed to Vin that the demon army could eventually be dealt with as long as the allied mages were stopped from carrying out their magical attack.

Surveying the saloon, Josiah located only two mages besides Nathan and himself, and despite their apparent willingness to help neither one was above rank 2 in their mage craft. From Terry's descriptions, he knew that Marquay had four Black Church mages at his disposal as well as the several demon sorcerers that Vin had mentioned. The mage force gathered here simply couldn't hope to counter Marquay's. "Do you know how many mages are riding with the Valiant Lancers?" Josiah asked Chris.

"Lachlan said he had a dozen magic users with him. They're due to arrive near dawn." The sky outside had yet to show even a hint of morning. But Chris knew that their best chance for success included waiting until reinforcements arrived. The delay was frustrating but inevitable.

Riordan, who had been forgotten by most, suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.

"What the hell do you think you're laughing at you crazy, Chaos demon wanna-be?" Buck gave the prisoner several good shakes to punctuate the question.

"You fools think you can stop Marquay. Stop Chaos! There isn't a move you can make that he won't uncover. The 'Vainglorious' Lancers will never reach Corners. And that spy who slithered his way into our stronghold is even now begging Marquay for mercy. By this time tomorrow…"

"Argh!" The enraged war cry gave Buck just enough warning to release Riordan and pull JD to a safe distance. Josiah never even slowed his charge as he grabbed the Black Churcher by his shirt and slammed him into the wall with enough force that all could hear the accompanying crack of at least three ribs. Still not satisfied, Josiah slammed him again, demanding, "What happened to my boy?"

"Boy? You mean the spy?" Riordan queried in a choked gasp. "He was caught red-handed in Marquay's chambers. Something about destroying a blood sacrifice. Marquay was going to interrogate him then give him to the demons to play with." Riordan's hope that a swift answer might spare him more suffering was shattered when he saw Josiah pull back his fist for a potentially lethal blow.

"Wait!" shouted Chris.

Josiah hesitated, but the rage swelling within him demanded that he act now and avenge Ezra. "Give me one good reason why I should let him take even one more breath!" demanded the Sunbird priest.

Chris moved to within inches of Riordan, grabbing his chin so that the man was forced to look at him. "You said the 'Lancers will never reach Corners'. What did you mean?"

Riordan shook his head as if to deny the words he had already spoken. "Nothing! You'll get nothing out of me!" His words might have carried a bit more force if he hadn't already been shaking uncontrollably. Riordan had thought that Josiah's brutal care was terrifying, but being forced to match stares with Christopher's chaotic, opal eyes was threatening to annihilate what little sanity he had left. Then suddenly those eyes changed. The milky Chaos Fire retreated leaving behind two irises of searing green rage. The smile that joined them brought to mind a rabid beast hungrily anticipating its chance to spread some misery. It seemed to him that Christopher's face had somehow become the personification of both wrath and despair. By the time the opal veil fell back over Chris's eyes, Riordan was sobbing like a child. "The bridge, Shannon's Crossing, it's rigged to collapse when too many horses cross it. That's all I know. Please, just get away from me!" Riordan was now twisting franticly to escape Chris despite the pain each movement brought to his ribs. Deciding to be merciful, Josiah sent Riordan into the realm of the dreaming with a single punch. Seconds later his body was tossed aside in a discarded heap.

"Looks like the old 'Larabee glare' can still work its magic, Pard," commented Buck as he drew closer to his friend.

Chris heard Buck's playful tease but didn't bother to respond. Pulling the amethyst crystal out of his pocket Chris tripled tapped and impatiently waited for its answering glow.

"Lachlan here," came the clipped reply.

"I wanted to give you a heads up," warned Larabee. "The Black Churchers may have rigged the Shannon's Crossing Bridge to collapse. We don't know if they have any other surprises planned."

"Understood." There was a collection of murmurs as Lachlan consulted those he was riding with. A moment later he said, "My scouts are going to check out the bridge now. If you're right we'll be forced to detour through Tullia pass, which will add at least an hour and a half to our travel time. How bad are things by you?"

"We're holding steady right now, but the Churchers know we're on to them. They may have moved up their plans. If any of our mage Riders sense the ritual is starting… Well, we'll have to attack then whether you're here or not." It was all about timing. If the Black Churchers could begin their ritual before the Chaos Riders could be reinforced then they were much more likely to achieve a victory.

"I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't come to that. We'll get there as soon as we can," assured the now familiar voice.

"I'll look to see you in a few hours then. Christopher out." Chris usually would have taken a moment to re-examine the newest developments, just to make sure he hadn't missed any angles. But the actions of the young constable drew his attention. "What are you doing, Kid?"

"You heard him," said JD as he slung his bow then gathered his cloak. "Marquay's got Ezra. I'm going to get him out. I'm not going to abandon Ezra!"

Josiah's deep voiced added, "and you not going to be going alone."

"If Marquay's interrogation technique is anything like ours, Ezra is going to need a bit of healing," said Nathan, gathering his own things to assist.

Chris couldn't help but notice that all three men were operating more on emotion than logic. Nathan owed this Ezra a life debt, JD seem to think he was the spy's backup, and Josiah was clearly letting their past relationship dictate his actions. He respected and even shared the belief that it was necessary to assist a fellow warrior, but they were walking into the lion's den right at dinnertime, and it didn't seem to be occurring to any of them. Someone had to be the voice of reason. Chris noticed that every person in the room was waiting on his response. Why were people always expecting him to take on the role of leader? "You don't even know if Ezra's still alive. The Black Churchers will be wary, expecting an attack. You could be risking your lives for nothing."

"They may be expecting an attack but they won't worry much over a couple of workers helping out in the tunnels," countered JD

"Especially once I change into less conspicuous clothes," put in Josiah as he removed his Sunbird Armor and bright red uniform. It was amazing how different the man looked in his drab brown shirt.

"Nathan should probably wait for us to bring Ezra out," conceded JD. "He's a little too recognizable as a Chaos Rider. Ezra gave me a couple of passwords. They should get us past any guards." Looking up at Josiah he asked, "Will you be able to find your way back to where you were held prisoner?"

"I will be the shepherd who always finds the lost lamb," assured Josiah. JD stared at Josiah for a second, wondering if he meant 'Yes, I know the way' or 'don't worry, I can wing it.' But, since JD planned on finding Ezra even if he had to search every room in that maze, it probably didn't matter.

"What if he's hurt real bad," tossed out Buck. "How are you going to carry him out without raising suspicion?"

"What if Marquay has already killed him?" asked Chris. He didn't want any of these men to throw their lives away in a futile quest.

Josiah looked ready to turn his anger on Chris but Nathan stepped between them saying, "You know he's right, Josiah. Before we go we should see if Sheehan can divine Ezra's condition." When Josiah backed down, Nathan turned hopeful eyes to the Elf warrior.

Like Nathan and his 'gift' for healing, Sheehan came by his clairvoyance naturally. Though he had had some magical training he generally considered himself a warrior. Yet while he didn't rely on his magical talent neither did he ignore it. "It's never easy divining an unknown person. It would help if I had something that was his . . . some hair or clothing, and the more recent the better."

"The map!" cried Terry. "Here, Ezra made this map." She had turned a somewhat sickly shade of green when Riordan had bragged about Ezra's capture. Terry wanted desperately to help the man who had become both her hero and her friend.

Sheehan took the marked-up leather. He was immediately bombarded with images of dirt walls, fugitive explorations and painstaking analysis. Realizing he was absorbing the sensations and emotions Ezra had felt when making the map, Sheehan pushed past them, trying to get beyond the map, while maintaining his link to the spy. Unfortunately, waking through another's spirit trail was seldom easy. Sheehan traced the path around frustration with his work, to happiness at helping friends, children, and then the serious nature of his mission. _Purifying a challis. Hide! An ancient wand? Marquay's taunting face. Question . . . pain . . . more questions. Too much pain. A final release? No, falling rocks. Snarling demonic canine features._

As the impressions drifted away Sheehan found himself the recipient of several expectant stares. "He's alive but not for much longer."

"What did you see?" asked JD.

"He's definitely being tortured. I got the impression that Marquay wants some bit of information from Ezra, and your friend is unwilling to share it. There was also a wand. It looked bronze, about a foot in length, with a plum sized ruby at its top. Something about the wand terrified Ezra, but I can't . . . " Sheehan struggled to recapture the fading impressions.

"Was it a focus Marquay created for his spells?" asked Josiah.

"No, not something Marquay made. It's old. Very, very old," explained Sheehan.

"Then it must be something he found in Chaos," guessed Nathan. "It's not uncommon to find artifacts in Chaos, and such an ancient magical artifact could give him a definite edge against an Imperial mage."

Satisfied that the others recognized the danger of the wand, Sheehan continued to relate the images. "I saw Ezra moving, and what I think was a cave collapse. I also saw a Storm demon that was a little too close for comfort," he ended his narrative, hoping that he hadn't misinterpreted the vision.

"How much time do we have?" JD questioned again.

"Clairvoyant visions don't come with a time stamp, Kid." Sheehan shifted his gaze to Chris. "But I got the feeling that he wouldn't survive to see reinforcements."

"Then Josiah and I have to leave now. We sneak in dressed as workers, grab Ezra, and sneak back out." JD was pleased that his words sounded so confident. Now if only he could get his stomach to stop its summersaults.

"No," said Chris, though his tone was one of consideration not command.

Buck recognized the look on his friend's face and asked, "What are you thinking, Pard?"

"I'm thinking that if we want to save Ezra, we need to do what Marquay expects," replied Chris.

"You mean some of us make a big fuss by one of the tunnels. Draw the attention so Josiah and the kid can get Ezra out with no one the wiser." Chris's grin told Buck that he had once again read his friend correctly.

"How many of us will you need for this diversion?" asked Vin. After all of the sneaking and hiding of the last couple of days he rather liked the idea of a straight-on confrontation.

"I think six of us should be enough. After all we don't want to start a full battle. This will be just a surgical hit and retreat." Chris's eyes met first Josiah, then JD, Nathan, Buck and finally the newcomer, Vin. He silent gaze made it clear who he expected those six to be.

"And what will we be doing while you're off on your rescue mission?" asked Sheehan. Vin wasn't the only Rider who wanted to see some action.

"Scouting out the thirty or so exits to the maze," replied Chris. "We need them identified. They'll be our last line of defense if all else fails."

"And those of us less adept at scouting," put in Fergus, "will rendezvous with the Lancers when they arrive." Chris nodded agreement.

"Miss Teresa," said JD hesitantly, "I think that now might be a good time for you to head back to your daughter. You have told us all that you could; now it's time to let us do our jobs. In fact, I think that Inez and Blossom should go with you," before Inez could protest leaving her saloon, JD rushed on. "Maybe I'm being over cautious, but I'm afraid that if things don't work out Ms. Nettie will be left without anyone to help her protect the children."

Inez's eyes softened immediately. "Of course we will help Miss Nettie protect the little ones."

While JD spoke with the ladies, Josiah talked to the remaining mages about what sort of magical signals might prelude the Ward Wall attack. Buck and Vin readied several mounts and Nathan gathered his medical supplies. Chris, after some consideration, pulled the communication crystal out of his pocket and handed it to the Dwarf, Fergus. "This will give you a way to pass information on to Lachlan if you're able to learn anything more from Riordan." Chris motioned towards the still unconscious Black Church fanatic. The rescue party mounted their horses and with a simple, "Let's ride," from Chris they melted into the night.


	4. Battling the Black Church

Nathan took the lead because he both was familiar with the route and had the added advantage of night vision provided by his Chaos eyes. They were close to the same tunnel they and the children had escaped from just hours before.

"Hold up, Nathan," whispered Vin. "Let's get one more look at the map before we move in." Everyone gathered around JD who had become the map's custodian. JD unrolled the map and immediately wished he had a light. The faint glow of predawn wasn't enough to make the drawings anything more than faint scribbles and blobs. Fortunately the others, except Josiah, had no such problem with their Chaos eyes.

"This is the area where Josiah and I were held," said Nathan. "We came through this section to pick up the children before exiting over here." Nathan carefully traced their route for the others. "Josiah, how long should we wait after you go in before starting our little distraction?"

"Give JD and I about 3 minutes," suggested Josiah, "unless, of course, you hear a thunder bolt. Then you should come running." He figured it would be the most effective way to signal the others if they were discovered. Not to mention all the damage it could do to their enemies.

"You'll want to avoid these tunnels as much as possible," added Buck, pointing to the booby-trapped sections. "Don't forget Sheehan saw a cave collapse."

"A cave-in could just as easily be used to trap you in as keep us out," commented Vin. "Do we know what's down this corridor?" he asked.

"Which corridor?" asked JD.

Realizing JD's normal eyes couldn't see the map in the dim light Vin tried to clarify his question. "The lone corridor east of the Plaza that runs northeast between the mage alcove and the tunnel with the prison room."

"Ms. Terry said she never went down that tunnel, but it might be . . . Ezra said he thought the head mage had another way of traveling to Chaos. I mean besides the three northern tunnels. He said that the coven leader would often disappear for hours sometimes even days, then return suddenly, reappearing with items that could only be found in Chaos."

"It's going in the right direction," agreed Vin. "It doesn't look like Ezra had a chance to scout the whole passage, but if Marquay has a bolt hole this is the likeliest spot. You should keep it in mind if you get cut off from your exit." Josiah nodded sagely, quite willing to accept the advice. JD however turned a bit green at the thought of voluntarily retreating into Chaos. He took a steadying breath, determined not to let Ezra or the others down.

"I think Buck should go with the two of you," said Chris. "He's not easily recognized as a Chaos Rider and you could probably use another set of eyes."

"Are you trying to keep all of the action to yourself?" demanded Buck in protest. But he quieted at the intense look in Larabee's eyes. It told Buck that his old friend and leader was following one of his 'hunches'. And Buck had ridden with Chris for too long not to trust him. "Well, I guess someone has to keep an eye on the kid while Josiah rescues his friend." JD tensed but refused to respond to the taunt, much to Buck's disappointment.

JD handed the map to Chris. The three men moved to the barely visible hole in the rocks. Chris, Nathan and Vin waited anxiously for thunderbolts or any other sounds of alarm, but their ears found only silence. At the three-minute mark, the remaining Riders rose.

"Time to go join the party," quipped Vin as he readied his bow. Returning Vin's comment with a wicked grin, Chris unsheathed his sword and marched forward in search of prey.

* * *

><p><em>It is better to stay unconscious.<em> Ezra wasn't entirely sure why it was better, but his instincts all screamed that the waking world was something best avoided. Unfortunately Ezra's mind was the sort that was forever intrigued by puzzles, and right now it had a bundle of rather unpleasant puzzles to reason through. Why was he so cold and achy? What were those strange garbled words that he kept hearing? And why did the thought of opening his eyes cause a shiver of fear to run down his spine?

"Wake up, Infiltrator!" The demand was accompanied by a sharp jab to Ezra's kidneys. The pain quickly erased Ezra's earlier drowsy feelings, but did little to clear his confusion. He tried to curl away from the pain but not one of his limbs seemed willing to respond.

" . . . way . . . bring him around," spoke one of the voices. The malicious laughter that followed did not bode well for Ezra.

Ezra felt the whisper of cloth brush his face. He jerked away reflexively but the fabric was already being pulled taunt around his head. His neck ached as his head was forced back viciously. Ezra pushed aside his confused thoughts as understanding his situation took a back seat to escaping it. Frustration overwhelmed him when he realized that the burning in his wrists and ankles meant that he was bound, and bound tightly. His attempts to pull his head away from the hood that covered it were even less successful. His torturers arched his neck so far back that Ezra was certain it would snap any second.

"Thirsty, Infiltrator?" The sneer in Ezra's ear was only slightly muffled by the cloth between them. Instinct caused him to draw in a deep breath of air. It was an action he was thankful for when an icy liquid soaked the fabric covering his face. Ezra held his breath but it couldn't stop the liquid from seeping into his nose and ears. He felt more water flow over his face even as his lungs were bursting with the need to release the gases that filled them.

"No wonder it ain't working. He's holding his breath, the cheating bastard!" This exclamation was accompanied by a brutal punch to the gut. The blow knocked the air out of Ezra leaving him gasping futilely though a saturated cloth. More water was poured over him, trickling unchecked down his windpipe. Ezra bucked violently hoping to dislodge his tormentors, but his movements seemed to have little effect. Panic set in as every attempt to breathe caused more water to drip into his lungs. All other pains receded to the need for air.

Suddenly the cloth was gone. Ezra's lungs struggled to expel water and breathe at the same time. He coughed and gasped in turns as his body tried to make up for its deprivation. His eyes were open but things were still a blur. Precious seconds ticked away as he tried to focus his eyes and assess just how bad his situation was.

"It's good to see you back with us," spoke the cultured tones that Ezra recognized as Marquay. His face appeared before Ezra, flanked by several others. "I wasn't sure you would be. Lesser men and women have died under the same spell. It's a shame that such a worthy survivor would ally himself to the Empire."

"The Empire may be a long way from perfect, but it is preferable to the insanity that you're offering," Ezra's words barely scratched past his raw throat.

"So you think it's insane to want freedom from pointless rules, elitist prejudice and stagnation? The Empire is holding us back! Our people will never become more than what they are if we don't force them beyond their sheltered existence. It is for the greater good of our race that I take the actions I do. I will not allow you to interfere with my plan. Now, you will tell me exactly what information you have passed on to your superiors or I will teach you how to redefine suffering. And, just in case you think you can lie your way past me just as you lied your way into our coven, let me assure you that Ena's communication magic will detect even the slightest hint of deception.

"If you want information, find another source," insisted Ezra. "I might not have been able to stop you, but I'll be dead before I'll help you."

"No, you'll merely wish you were dead," corrected Marquay. "Every man has his breaking point. How much agony can you withstand before you reach yours?"

Ezra's bravado slipped a notch as the implications of Marquay's works settled in. He was going to die in pain and alone, just like his father.

Marquay saw the change in Ezra's demeanor and altered his tactics. "We don't have to be enemies, Eric. You're a smart man, despite all of the brainwashing that you've received from the Imperial propaganda machine. Surely you can see that our society is trapped in stagnation. When was the last time you heard of a new medical treatment, an engineering innovation or even a new invention?" Marquay paused a moment, waiting, daring Ezra to respond. "You can't answer because there haven't been any. Look at this book I found in Chaos." Marquay held up a brightly colored volume about an inch and a half thick. "A child's encyclopedia, and in it are machines the likes of which no one has seen in 500 hundred years. Vehicles that traveled on rails covering hundreds of miles in a single day. Or boats that moved down rivers propelled by giant paddle wheels. Some would say that this was just knowledge lost to the Chaos wave, but if that is so why haven't any of these scientific wonders been recreated in the 500 years since? Before Chaos, becoming a mage was just one of many respectable careers, but once the Ward Wall pushed Chaos back mages were viewed as the saviors of humanity. They were given the status of heroes and the power to influence every aspect of Imperial life. They used that influence to control the Empire. Only the City of Sorcerers can decide who learns about magic and what they learn. They have suppressed all knowledge of what our world was like before Chaos to keep the people content with what they have. Just ask a member of the Seeker Faithhood how many times their research has been stopped on the orders of the City of Sorcerers. Their only explanations being that the Seekers were nearing forbidden knowledge. Five hundred years have passed and nothing has changed. Our people are so stifled that their minds are suffocating and they don't even realize it."

"And how will unleashing demons upon an unsuspecting populace help anyone?" demanded Ezra. It was possible that Marquay's claims were true and the Sorcerers were suppressing information for political gain, but Ezra could believe the situation was as extreme as Marquay implied. Even then it didn't justify wholesale slaughter.

"You're still looking at their deaths as some great evil, when it is really a harbinger of change. The weak and lazy will be swept away. Survival of the fittest will force our people to advance. Yes, it will be bloody, but what child has ever been born but through the blood and pain of its mother? Our own rebirth will be no different."

As Marquay's speech wound down there were several murmurs of agreement from his henchmen. But Ezra refused to join in. As charismatic as Marquay was, he couldn't make murder sound any better than it was. Seeing that his words were ineffective, Marquay demanded, "What have you told Christopher and his people?"

"Christopher?" Ezra was surprised to hear the highly reputed Rider's name. If Christopher was in town it was no wonder Marquay was concerned. According to bards' tales Christopher was quite skilled at out maneuvering his opponents.

"I know the Rider you freed was one of his men. And I doubt it was coincidence that led Christopher to find my demon army. I need to know exactly what you told him." When Ezra didn't respond, Marquay began twirling his wand, making the ruby at the end glow. He muttered a few words and touched the tip to Ezra's chest. Fire burned through Ezra's veins, it felt as though his blood were literally boiling. Then it was over and Marquay was speaking in his ear. "It doesn't have to be like this, Erik. Just tell me what you told Christopher and your suffering will end." At Ezra's silence Marquay applied the glowing wand again.

"I never talked to Christopher!" screamed Ezra. Immediately the pain stopped, though his abused muscles continued to quiver.

"Now I know that Christopher has already gathered a war council, so if you haven't been talking to him then you must be passing your knowledge through an intermediary. So who would that be, the boy Constable perhaps?" asked Marquay.

Ezra ground his teeth together, determined to say nothing more. Marquay had already guessed too much from a simple denial. He couldn't chance his words being used to harm others. The children, Teresa, JD and especially Josiah had put their faith in him. He had to remain silent.

"Well, is it the Constable?" Ezra's lack of response brought a scowl to Marquay's face. "I thought we had an understanding. You answer my questions and I won't torture you. Now tell me who your contact is."

Ezra tried to prepare his body for the pain he knew was coming, but it was an exercise in futility. His hoarse screams echoed through the cavern. This time it didn't end after a few seconds like before. Instead wave after wave of agony rolled through his body until his screams became whimpers.

Marquay finally lifted the wand thinking that his captive would now be ready to cooperate. Rushing footsteps drew his attention to the door as a boy of about ten rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. "Brawlic says the War Queen wants to speak with you," gasped the child. "He says it's about the Vipers, Sir."

"Well, it looks like you have a bit of a reprieve, Erik," said Marquay. "But just so you don't forget where we were." Marquay's wand tapped Ezra's chest eliciting a final groan. "Ena and I should be back soon," Marquay told his followers. "Don't give him any food or water. Just leave him to contemplate his situation while I'm gone." Marquay left the room then, but Ezra didn't feel any better.

* * *

><p>Chris, Nathan and Vin moved to meld their bodies against the wall of the dark tunnel as a couple of Churchers passed through an intersection eight feet away.<p>

"It's really going to happen. We're going to rip a hole in the Ward wall and invite our Chaos allies in, and there ain't a thing the Empire can do to stop us," said one of the Churchers.

"Shut up!" hissed his smaller companion. "You're going to jinx us. Besides, Imperial army could attack us at any moment, and with all the noise you're making we wouldn't even hear them coming."

The truth of the Churchers statement brought a smile to Vin's lips as he continued to hide.

"It's just exciting, is all I'm saying," defended the first.

"Well, stop saying and start patrolling," reprimanded his partner. Finally their footsteps receded into silence.

With the passage clear, the three men turned through the intersection with surprising quiet. Nathan and Chris both wore some metal armor. Chris's was made of strips of metal threaded through leather. Nathan's armor was mostly leather with a few strategically placed metal studs. Vin preferred his armor to be light and flexible, so he made due with boiled leather. Of course, no armor, nor even clothing, was completely quiet. But hundreds of journeys behind enemy lines had taught them how to move with near silence.

They were a couple of minutes into the maze, but Vin urged the others on. He wanted to be well away from their starting point when they engaged the Churchers. After all, their distraction wouldn't help Ezra and the others if it blocked their escape route. Chris pointed to a Y-intersection up ahead. Vin nodded in agreement. It was as good a place as any to make a stand. At least they would be able to keep the majority of their opponents in front of them.

Nathan was a bit nervous. Despite the many times he had been in battle he had never fought any of the human races. Of course, there had been training and the occasional challenge, but killing had always been reserved for animals and demons.

Chris was ready to wield a bit of pain and destruction. He didn't enjoy slaughter, but he figured that there were just some things that by their very nature needed killing. And Black Churchers intent on unleashing demon hordes on an unsuspecting populace definitely fell into that category.

A signal from Vin told them that others were approaching. Instead of hiding like they had before, the three men moved into a fighting stance. Two strangers came from the northeast tunnel. The two didn't notice the three Chaos riders until they were almost on top of them. The larger man lifted his sword menacingly and challenged, "I don't know you! Who are you?"

"I know who you are," countered Chris. "You're the Black Church traitor who is going to surrender or die." The swing of a blade and the crash of steel told clear enough which path he chose.

* * *

><p>The prison guards were debating which of the many methods of torture would work best at making the spy before them talk. A quick tap brought their attention to the door. The password "Cauldron" was enough to convince the guards to grant entrance.<p>

"Imperials are attacking! They're coming this way!" warned a tunnel worker as he rushed into the temporary prison. The two guards promptly lost interest in their prisoner and moved towards the hall. They had barely cleared the doorway when both were grabbed and shoved headfirst into each other. The resulting crack of skulls disabled at least one of the guards. Buck's opponent was still trying to weakly swing his short sword, so Buck swung him into the wood of the doorframe. He continued the abuse with a knee, first to the gut, and then the face, at which point the guard dropped limply to the ground. Buck dragged the body into the room and shut the door.

JD was untying the many ropes binding Ezra while Josiah was chanting a minor healing spell.

Ezra, for his part, was quite bewildered. A rescue had been so far from his thoughts that he didn't realize what was happening, "JD, were you captured?"

"No. Josiah and I came to rescue you," explained JD. "You didn't think we'd forget about you, did you?"

Instead of answering, Ezra's eyes sought out Josiah. ""Marquay has a powerful wand. It's pre-Chaos. Something he found in some ruins. It can facilitate both Imperial and Chaos forms of magic simultaneously," rasped Ezra.

JD wasn't sure what that meant, but it was enough to cause Josiah to stutter his spell and pale a shade, so it couldn't be good.

Josiah took a moment to finish his healing spell. Ezra sighed with relief as much of the pain washed away. "Do you know where Marquay is keeping the wand?" asked Josiah.

"He has it with him now," said Ezra. Feeling at least a little stronger Ezra stood and stretched his legs. The brightly colored encyclopedia caught his eye and on impulse he tucked the tome under his arm.

Josiah toyed with the idea of going after Marquay but decided it was too risky just now. "That will have to be dealt with the wand later. Right now we need to get you to safety."

"Here, Ezra, I thought you might want this." JD handed the spy a small crossbow with a bolt already loaded.

"The coast is clear," reported Buck from the door. "We should move now."

* * *

><p>When the fighting started Chris ordered Nathan to stay back. From his protected position he could watch their rear and guard against magical attacks. As the call to battle went through the cavern complex, others found their way to the fight. Vin struck down many with arrows, ensuring that Chris never had to fight more than two at a time. Many of the attackers defeated themselves trying to use bold sword strokes that simply didn't work in the cramped tunnel. On the other hand, Chris's short parries and quick thrusts had delivered numerous victories. The bodies on the floor made it that much more difficult for others to charge him.<p>

"How long before we pull back?" asked Vin as he feathered his bow.

"A couple more minutes. They should be on their way out by now," answered Chris.

* * *

><p>Buck signaled for caution from the others. All three of his companions pressed their backs to the wall. JD was right behind Buck, followed by Ezra and then Josiah, who was guarding the rear. Voices could be heard from the tunnel to the right. Buck flew into motion, knocking one person to the ground at JD's feet and grabbing the other from behind. He commanded silence with a dagger to the stranger's throat. JD had already aimed his crossbow at the person on the ground when he realized it was a boy probably five years his junior.<p>

The boy smiled when he looked past JD to Ezra. "Mr. Erik, you're okay. I'd heard they were going to . . . I mean, they said they caught you spying and . . ."

"I'm fine, Egan," assured Ezra while stepping forward to help the boy up.

As soon as Egan was standing he asked, "Are Evan and the others okay?"

Josiah answered saying, "We escorted the children to safety several hours ago."

When Buck saw the boy was friendly, he eased his grip on the child he was holding. It was an action he regretted when the boy wriggled through his arms and stepped back out of his reach.

"How can you speak to them, Egan? They're the enemy!" accused the boy.

"Because what we're doing is wrong, Kane," said Egan. "People are going to die: Thousands of people!"

"You're worried about a herd of weak, pathetic sheep? I'll be glad when they die. I'll stomp on their bones and dance through their blood!" declared Kane.

JD was shocked motionless by the venomous words pouring from the teenage boy's mouth. Buck sprung forward hoping to recapture and silence the man-child.

Kane darted just out of reach, adding, "Just like I'll be happy when I see you all dead." With that he yanked on a small lever near a tunnel support and ran. The vibrating rumble had everyone stepping back in fear.

"The intersection!" Ezra pointed to the nearest location that would be safe from the partial cave collapse. The men and boy ran through trembling walls and falling rocks to their haven. For several moments all was black as dust and dirt blasted through the air, before settling. It took precious seconds for Josiah to relight the lantern. "Well, there goes our quiet escape," said Ezra in a deadpan tone.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Erik," apologized Egan.

"Nonsense, Son," said Josiah. "You aren't responsible for what that boy did."

"Agreed," seconded Ezra. "Now Egan, I want you to head toward the smithy section. Take the third tunnel and then follow every branch to the right. The tunnel isn't properly finished, but it will let out near the river which you can follow to the Wells' ranch."

"Aren't you coming?" asked Egan.

"The crawl way you'll have to pass through is too small for any of us. Now go quickly before Kane spreads word of your true allegiance. Besides, before the night is out, your brother will need your protection," urged Ezra. Egan nodded farewell and ran to his escape.

"We need to get moving ourselves. That cave-in is bound to draw a lot of attention. Chris is probably pulling the others out. Preacher, would you happen to know a spell to help us find them in this maze?" asked Buck.

"No, but apparently Nathan does. He's already thrown us a magical lifeline." Josiah recognized the shimmering blue thread the others lacked the magic ability to see. "Follow me." Josiah readied his sword to fight their way out.

* * *

><p>"Do you think we've got their attention yet?" asked Vin flippantly as he shot a woman charging with an axe.<p>

"I think we're at the top of their 'most wanted' list," agreed Chris, while he crossed swords with an Elf.

"Chris, I can feel magic building," interrupted Nathan, "I think Marquay is moving this way."

Chris nodded and swiftly executed his Elf opponent. "Let's get out of here." They had traveled only twenty feet towards the exit when a low rumble shook the cavern. "I was hoping that Sheehan was wrong about a cave-in," admitted Chris.

"They're all still alive," assured Nathan. His many Chaos journeys had put him in the habit of attaching short-term general status spells to his companions. It allowed him to detect any drastic physical changes they experienced, yet only lasted an hour or two so as not to weaken him.

"We don't know which tunnel collapsed though or how to get to them," Chris pointed out. "Nathan, do you remember the pathfinder spell you created to get us out of the Bharashadi Briar?"

Nathan nodded. "I've got it ready." He fingered his moon pendant. "But it's going to leave me drained."

"Do it," ordered Larabee.

Nathan triggered the spell, using his pendant to help power it. Even so, the energy drain was felt immediately. The pathfinder spell was much more complex than a typical locater spell. It not only guided you towards you destination but also led you around obstacles and hazards. Nathan was glad he had taken the time to prepare the spell before their mission. For several seconds he felt the magic roll out like waves. Then a single thread returned and Nathan could feel Josiah already grasping the other end of that thread. "I've got them," he murmured, "This way." Nathan started to the left, but with his third step he stumbled into the wall.

"Easy, Pard," said Vin grabbing the exhausted man's elbow. "I think you should let one of us take the lead."

"Stay between us until you regain some energy," agreed Chris.

Nathan pointed the direction they needed to go and Vin led the way.

* * *

><p>Josiah thought that their rescueescape was going quite well despite the cave-in. No one was seriously injured. He could feel Nathan and the others drawing closer every second. When they had encountered the residents of the cavern complex, some had run, leaving only a few to fight, and those combatants were mostly disorganized and undisciplined. They were met with such swift brutality from Buck, Ezra and even JD that Josiah almost felt pity for them.

The clang of metal echoing through the tunnel gave the location of their allies and hurried their steps. The four rounded a corner just in time to see Chris run a Dwarf through.

Running an examining eye over the four, especially JD and the newcomer Ezra, Chris asked, "Is anyone injured?"

"No," assured Buck. "Shoot, these Churchers might be 'demon-wanna-bes', but they don't know squat about fighting."

"Good," said Chris. "Then it's time to leave." Chris started to move to the south tunnel, but Nathan grabbed his arm.

"Marquay is waiting for us that way," Nathan warned. As the others watched, Josiah cast a quick clairvoyance spell confirming Nathan's fears.

"We can't go back that way," JD gestured over his shoulder. "The cave-in blocked our best exit."

Before anyone else could speak three Churchers voiced a shouted charge. The charge was intercepted with the steel of Buck's blade, while Vin moved to cover him. JD found Buck's eager enjoyment of the battle more than a bit distracting, but the others continued their conversation as though nothing was going on.

"Can we get out this way?" Chris directed his question to Ezra as he pointed to a Westward tunnel.

"Possibly, but we'd have to travel through several very populated caverns. I wouldn't give us good odds in either direction," he answered.

"I don't suppose taking the fight to Marquay is an option." Chris tossed this half statement, half question at Josiah. His forth-level badge marked him as the only potential rival to Marquay's abilities.

Josiah noted Nathan's tired state and shook his head. "Not by myself. Maybe not even with a dozen mages. According to Ezra, Marquay has a wand that can facilitate both Chaos and Imperial magic. I'm not even sure how to go about fighting such a powerful weapon."

"Sounds like the bolt hole might be our best option," Vin said over his shoulder. "They won't be expecting it."

Chris nodded his agreement before joining Buck to finish off the last of the three Churchers. With their tunnel section momentarily cleared of rivals Chris gestured to Vin, "Lead the way."

They hadn't gone far when Ezra spoke up, "I think I should point out that we're going deeper into the stronghold."

"Yep," agreed Vin.

"They figured we could retreat into Chaos if we got trapped in the caves," explained JD. Though try as he might, he couldn't quite keep the fear out of his voice.

"Chaos," gasped Ezra. "Are you gentlemen unaware that an entire demon army is waiting at the other end of these tunnels?"

"At the end of the three north tunnels, yes, but if the small northeast tunnel next to the mage alcove is Marquay's private highway to and from Chaos, then it's unlikely that he shared its location with any demons," Josiah tried to assure.

"But I never confirmed that tunnel went all the way to Chaos. It could be a dead end," said Ezra.

"Well, I guess we'll be confirming where it leads soon enough," pointed out Buck. They were now just a few steps from the Plaza, the natural cavern that served as a nexus to the Churchers' tunnels. The tunnel they sought was on the far side of the chamber while several dozen people milled about in between.

"We'll make a straight charge across the Plaza. Don't let anything slow you down or their numbers could overwhelm you," ordered Chris. "Nathan, I want you and Ezra to stay in the middle. Neither of you is near full strength."

"Constable, you better bring your bow up here with me," said Vin. Chris cocked an eyebrow at putting their most inexperienced fighter in the front. But Vin nodded assuring that he knew what he was doing. To JD he explained, "It's going to be up to us to clear a path for our group. So every shot is going to count." JD nodded silently, somehow managing to look pale and flushed at the same time.

"Guess that leaves us for rear guard," Buck said to Chris.

Chris nodded. Then he noticed Ezra's small, and now empty, crossbow. "Are you any good with a sword?"

"I was just recently elevated to rank 3," revealed Ezra.

Chris handed Ezra the short-sword he carried as backup to his preferred bastard-sword. With everyone properly armed he motioned to Vin, who started the charge.

The occupants of the Plaza were so surprised to have seven warriors race through their midst that the seven made it almost halfway across before they were challenged. The fanatics rushed to protect the north end of the cavern, many assuming that the Imperials were here to prevent the demon army from entering the Empire. By the time they realized the small side tunnel was the seven's true goal, Vin and JD had already secured its entrance.

"Mage!" warned Vin, firing another arrow into the northern concentration of Churchers.

Josiah saw the formation of a flaming sphere and met it with his own fireball. The colliding infernos created a shockwave that staggered most in the Plaza.

Knocked off balance, Buck missed a critical parry. The burning sensation below his rib cage, when matched with his opponent's grin, brought Buck the realization that his life was hanging in the balance. Buck tried to drive the man back with the strength of his blows, but his movements became frustratingly sluggish. Buck found himself knocked on his ass while his opponent lifted his sword over his head for a mighty deathblow. The man suddenly jerked violently back as an arrow entered his throat. Buck looked to the arrow's origin and saw Constable Dunne readying to fire again.

Then Ezra was pulling him to his feet and leading him to their exit. "Time to leave, Gentlemen. We have overstayed our welcome."

Nathan and Chris didn't respond. Their full attention was focused on holding back the angry mob of Churchers.

"Here it goes!" shouted Josiah tossing a seemingly benign white ball into the midst of the surging crowd.

Nathan recognized both the ball and the spell it held. He grabbed Chris's shoulder and shouted, "Run!"

Josiah, meanwhile, was counting backwards, "Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one." The ball released a concentrated blast of wind that blew the mob off its feet, knocking several unconscious. The distraction gave the seven the time to move through their escape route unhampered. Vin and JD ran ahead to learn where the path they had chosen would lead. Ezra helped the still bleeding Buck along, while Chris, Josiah and Nathan cautiously back stepped as they waited for the next Churcher charge.

Passing a tunnel support, Ezra noticed a familiar lever. He stopped to examine its connections.

"What's wrong?" asked Chris.

"Pull this lever," explained Ezra, "and the roof between this support and the last will collapse."

Chris's own study of the mechanism was interrupted by the approach of more enemies. "Nathan, help Ezra get Buck further down the tunnel." Ezra looked like he wanted to argue, but after a second, went with the others.

"Why are you waiting to pull the lever?" asked Josiah.

"Because I intend to trap as many Churchers beneath the cavern roof as I can," replied Chris.

Josiah smiled and raised his voice to a resonating shout, "All I've heard in the last couple of months is how cunning and dangerous the Black Church has become. But the pathetic mass I've met today is unworthy of such respect. In fact, they're unworthy of Chaos!"

Josiah's taunt proved successful, as Churchers rushed forward to demonstrate just how dangerous they were. Chris waited until the leaders of the mob were just a few yards away. Then he pulled the lever and jumped back. Most Churchers had just a second or two to panic before the rocky debris smothered their last thoughts. Two unfortunate men managed to out run the cave-in only to meet their end on the edge of Chris's sword.

When the dust settled it was clear that the Churchers would not be able to reach them without first spending hours, if not days, clearing away rocks. Satisfied with their deed, Josiah and Chris moved to catch up with the others.

* * *

><p>Chris had kept the group moving at a quick march for the last forty minutes or so. JD had just recently rejoined them to pass on that Vin had found an exit. The hazy red light at the end of the tunnel proved that they were already deep into Chaos. Chris thought they had gone perhaps three or four miles, but they wouldn't know for certain until they got a good look at the surface. Hopefully they would be far enough from the main demon camp to escape detection.<p>

When Chris and Josiah had caught up with Buck, Ezra and Nathan, the three had been waiting just this side of the Ward Wall. It had been strangely reassuring to see the magical barrier slice through the cavern and continue on, perhaps to the depths of the world.

Buck looked pale and shaky. Nathan applied a thick bandage to Buck's sword wound even though he looked exhausted. Ezra, whose own appearance was quite haggard, clutched his book and gazed at the hypnotic flickering of light created by the Ward Wall.

Chris didn't miss the fear in Ezra's eyes that his impassive face couldn't hide. Chris accepted the fear as a good sign. The only people who went into Chaos unafraid were either stupid or suicidal. It probably didn't help that for the last several months the weapons Ezra had been relying on were charm and deception. Charm would be useless against a demon and deception was quite limited in armed combat.

Josiah, who also noticed Ezra's trepidation, rested a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Make no assumptions, and follow our lead, and you'll do just fine," said Josiah in his most encouraging tone.

Ezra shifted his gaze from the Ward Wall to Josiah. "Can you guarantee that statement?" he asked.

Josiah laughed. "There are no guarantees in Chaos," he said. Then he stepped through the Ward Wall pulling a protesting Ezra with him.

Chris waited another minute for Nathan to finish bandaging Buck, and then escorted the last of his party through.

Right now, Chris's main goal was to get his group through Chaos as quickly and safely as possible. Not an easy task when his party of seven included one injured warrior, one exhausted healer mage and two Chaos virgins.

"Damn it!" cursed Nathan. "We need to stop. Buck's opened his wound again."

"It's only bleeding a little bit," said Buck lightly.

"You've lost too much blood to let it continue at all," scolded Nathan. He pulled away the blood soaked bandage, shaking his head in dismay. "This bandage is useless as long as your movements keep reopening the wound. I need to do at least a minor healing to get the bleeding permanently stopped."

"Are you strong enough to cast another spell?" asked Chris.

"I can do it," Nathan stated, but then added, "The spell would work best if I had 10 or 15 minutes to reinforce it with ritual."

"Shouldn't be a problem," said Vin as he stepped out of the shadows. "My initial scout puts us about three miles north, northwest of the Glass Cliffs. I saw a couple of patrols but they were scattered to the south of us. We shouldn't have too much of a problem getting past them as long as we don't head towards the Ward Wall."

"Don't head towards the . . . wait a minute. How are we suppose to get back to the Empire if we don't head for the Ward Wall?" demanded Ezra.

"We don't," said Chris, "at least not yet. The army between Ward Wall and ourselves is too big to fight our way through, and even if it wasn't we're low on firepower." Chris motioned to Vin and JD's dwindling arrow supply. "Circling around would take days we don't have. And without horses we've got no chance of outrunning them. We need to rest and re-supply."

"So where shall we be going first? The armory down the road, the stables or perhaps we can stop at the local inn. Order ourselves a hearty meal before retiring to our feather beds." No one missed the sarcasm in Ezra's tone. Ezra knew that Chaos was a wasteland. If they couldn't survive on what they carried, they simply wouldn't survive. At least that's what Ezra thought he knew.

"Funny you should mention feather beds," said Vin, "I heard there were some right comfy ones not far from here."

Ezra gaped at Vin incredulously.

Next to him, Chris grinned, "We're near Len's Sanctuary."

"I reckon so," nodded Vin, "I haven't actually been there myself, but if I've remembered the landmarks right it shouldn't be more than a 30 minute hike."

"Praise God and all her Saints!" exclaimed Buck. "We might actually make it out of this alive." Josiah chuckled at Buck's comment and even Nathan seemed relieved.

"Save your praise for when we've actually reached safety," scolded Chris. To Vin he continued, "I was there a couple of weeks ago, so I can show you exactly where the Sanctuary lies." Chris turned to Nathan and Josiah. "Nathan you've got ten minutes to finish your spell. Any longer than that and we'll be fighting off both demons and vermin that have picked up our scent. Josiah, I want you to give Ezra and JD a crash course in demon warfare. I doubt we'll be able to avoid them forever." When Chris received acknowledgements from both, he and Vin readied their weapons and moved toward the red sky of Chaos.

* * *

><p>When they exited the narrow cave mouth, Chris immediately recognized their location. They were about one-third of the way up the first of several dozen peaks that made up the black Storm Shadow Mountain Range; it was named so for the many generations it had marked the physical border between the ever-warring Storm and Shadow demons. Until recently the Glass Cliffs had fallen within the Shadow demon territory. But their battle months before with Valiant Lancers had decimated their numbers and the Storms had quickly taken advantage. Chris decided to take it as a good omen that there was an entire mountain between them and the Glass Cliff's demonic army.<p>

Looking down the mountainside and across the barren plain he could easily spot the dying clumps of jungle vegetation left behind by a Chaos storm. The same storm that had uncovered the long buried haven they now sought. "Len's Sanctuary is at the end of the Chaos storm path below us. The entrance is little more than a hole in the wall at the base of the valley and consequently, hard to spot from above."

"Figured as much," nodded Vin. "Cutting across the mountainside shouldn't be too hard, but we're going to have some trouble when we reach the drop off to the valley. The fastest way would probably be to rope down to the Sanctuary. But that might be a bit much for your friend, Bucklin."

"Nathan's a better healer than he gives himself credit for," informed Chris. "Still we should get a closer look to see just how difficult the descent will be."

With a simple nod Vin lead the way across the mountainside. It wasn't easy for the two men to move both quickly and quietly over the jagged rock. The task was made more difficult by the fact the neither could simply focus on where to put their feet. Instead they maintained a vigilant search of not only their immediate surroundings but also the distant horizon. Every movement that indicated a possible demon presence was noted and shared.

Yet trailing behind Vin's stealthy steps, Chris was quickly beginning to feel as awkwardly graceless as a bull in a pottery shop. How the light-footed Elf managed to skip across the rock face without disturbing so much as pebble was a mystery. Every move Chris made seemed to lead to a small avalanche of dust. If that wasn't frustrating enough, Chris was fairly certain he was slowing the silent Elf down. Knowing that nothing was going to make him as agile as Vin, Chris did his best to mimic the other's movements and hoped they could continue to escape demon notice for a bit longer. Unfortunately, hope was a rather poor friend to depend upon in Chaos.

* * *

><p>"We should probably start with the Tsvortu," decided Josiah.<p>

"The what?" asked JD

"Tsvortu," explained Ezra "is the proper name for Storm demons."

"That's correct. Storms are strong, capable fighters. They are just as confident wielding a saber as ripping through a body with teeth or talons," Josiah began. "Now a Storm may be unlikely to out-sprint a person, but that doesn't mean they can't be quick. A common Storm ploy is to intentionally slow their initial attacks, drawing an inexperienced Rider in for the kill."

"They're tricky bitches, all right," agreed Buck. JD's ears pinked at Buck's comment. The tall rider was sitting on the ground, leaning up against the wall. Several pieces of clothing and armor had been removed to expose the wound in his side. Next to him Nathan was mumbling and gesturing as he prepared the ingredients and focused his energies on the coming spell.

Josiah grinned and continued, "The 'bitches', as Buck so eloquently put it, are the warriors of a Storm clan. So I suggest you toss aside any misgivings you may have about fighting females. Because, I assure you they won't be hesitating when they gut you."

"Ain't that the truth," Buck interrupted again. "And their bastard brothers aren't any better. Tell the cherries about them, Preacher."

"I was getting to that," insisted Josiah. "Now, the only Storm demons that can work magic are the males. Fortunately for us, male Storms are relatively rare. Their magic all revolves around warping local weather patterns. So their most common attacks take the form of lighting, strong wind or downpours. It would take several working in concert to create a larger effect such as a tornado."

"My personal preference when dealing with Storms is to wound one from a distance, whether by magic, arrow or spear. Her clan sisters will be bound to spend their energies rescuing her instead of attacking me."

"Next on our list of potential demon combatants would be the Hobmotli," said Josiah.

"The most dangerous thing about Hobs is their smell," commented Buck. "I kid you not; standing downwind of a Hob is worse than falling face first into a pile of horse manure: Freshly dropped horse manure. Then there's the, owe!" Buck had been moving his arms to add emphasis to his words. But a pull on the wrong muscle stopped both his speech and Nathan's chant.

"Buck could you please hold still for just five more minutes." Nathan gently moved Buck's arms back to his sides and then rechecked the wound to make sure it hadn't been further damaged.

"Sorry, Nathan," Buck was instantly contrite. He knew that even if the spell worked perfectly he would he stronger but Nathan would be weaker. It was a huge risk to be taking when they were stranded in Chaos. Buck silently vowed he would return the favor by protecting Nathan while the mage recovered. Once Nathan slipped back into his chant, Josiah continued his lesson.

"Hob demons are small humanoid creatures, not taller than four feet. They have four arms, several of which are usually swinging wooden clubs or spears. They lack the ability to make metal weapons, so the few swords and axes they possess are looted from the dead and generally in poor condition. Their fighting style is little more than shouting and bashing whatever gets within their reach. Easy enough to kill one-on-one, they like to travel in groups for protection. The aspect I like most about Hobs is their utter cowardice. Put up a loud intimidating front and Hobs will often break and run before the first club is swung."

"Flame demons can be tricky to deal with. They have a body that can be killed, but getting past the living fire that protects it is a challenge to say the least. A swift decapitation is usually the best method. I recommend staying out of close quarters combat, though it never hurts to have a bit of burn lotion in your gear."

"I don't have any personal experience with Vipers, but I'm told their most dangerous ability is the speed of their strike. When Vipers strike they either spit or inject poison that, within a few minutes, paralyzes the victim. The poison wears off after four or five hours, but during that time the victim is helpless."

Ezra had listened silently, committing each new bit of information to memory; a small corner of his mind kept trying to calculate the odds of reaching the Sanctuary without battle.

JD leaned against the cave wall on Josiah's other side, as he continued to keep his crossbow bolt aimed towards the small rock entrance. The rampant terror that had swamped him earlier in the evening had dulled to a constant nagging anxiety; feelings the heroic stories he'd read had never talked about. Nor had they ever mentioned how horrible it felt to watch the light leave a person's eyes after you killed them. JD just kept reminding himself that fighting against evil was what he had always wanted to do.

A few feet away from them Nathan's chant had reached a crescendo. When it stopped suddenly, Ezra and JD didn't see or feel anything. But Buck took his first deep breathe in over an hour, and felt only minor discomfort in doing so. Nathan, however, looked ready topple at the slightest breeze. Josiah and Buck both reached out to steady their friend.

"How about you settle down right here for a rest, Pard," coaxed Buck.

"I'll be fine in a minute," mumbled Nathan.

"Of course you will," agreed Josiah, "but a little rest can't hurt."

When Nathan surrendered to their advice, Buck asked Josiah, "How long have Chris and Vin been gone?"

"I'd say it's been a good twenty minutes. Which means they're late and may have encountered trouble," Josiah's voice was calm despite the danger his words implied.

"Maybe," conceded Buck, "but it's just as likely that they had to detour to avoid a demon or two. What concerns me is the idea of demons deciding to block off our only exit." Buck motioned to the hole.

"And as we can't go backwards," said Josiah, "it behooves us to safeguard the path forward." Looking at Ezra and JD, Josiah instructed, "The two of you will stay here with Nathan. You may have to help Nathan when it's time to move."

"And do us both a favor, Kid," Buck pushed JD's crossbow to the side. "Make sure it's a demon you see before you let fly. I've got no desire to end up with an arrow in my ass."

"I know how to handle my bow!" insisted JD hotly.

Buck grinned at the response. It was the first bit of fire he'd seen out of the kid since before this adventure began. Moving to the cave mouth Buck had to both squat and sidestep to get out. Josiah followed suit. For several long silent moments the men in the cave waited to hear from those outside. Then there was a snarl followed by the crash of steel. JD pointed his arrow at the hole, barely resisting the temptation to fire blind. Ezra restlessly gripped the borrowed short-sword, and tried to remember that Josiah was quite experienced at fighting demons.

"Help me closer to the opening," called Nathan weakly.

"Mr. Nathan, you can barely stand. Fighting would be impossible," said Ezra.

"I don't need to stand to throw my daggers. Now help me closer!" Nathan insisted.

Unable to argue the man's logic, and unwilling to turn down a skilled fighter, Ezra conceded. "As you will, Mr. Nathan," he said as he moved Nathan to a spot just behind and to the side of JD. And there the three men waited for the demons to come.

* * *

><p>Chris threw himself to the side seconds before bright yellow flames shot forward. He swung his sword up at an angle, trying to drive the demon back and was actually more successful than he expected when he managed to sever the beast's right arm. As the blackened stump fell to the ground, the Flame demon roared, its fire extending in all directions.<p>

Two arrows shot past Chris, burying deep within the center of the Flame's chest. "Hey, Chris, you're supposed to kill the demon," teased Vin, "not just piss it off."

The thought that it was easy for others to offer advice when they stood a safe distance from the inferno crossed Chris's mind. But he was too busy dodging the animated fire to give the thought voice. Then he saw the opening he needed. The Flame demon had over stepped on its last attack and was now off balance. Chris leapt forward, gritting his teeth against the searing pain in his right leg. With one powerful stroke of his sword the Flame demon's head flew from its body. Immediately its flames were extinguished.

Vin was soon next to Chris. "Best put lotion on that leg of yours; it should prevent the worst of the blistering. We need to move soon though. I saw two Storms and a group of Hobs headed this way."

Chris nodded as he applied the cool liquid. The two men had seen enough of the valley to know that a rope descent, while difficult, was not impossible. They were two-thirds of the way back to the cave when the lone Flame demon had attacked Chris from behind. Readjusting his clothing and tossing Vin the remainder of the lotion, Chris said, "Let's move."

They traveled much faster knowing they'd been spotted. Chris hoped that Nathan had finished the curative spell. It looked like they were going to need Buck's sword arm really soon.

Ahead of him, Vin was remembering all the reasons he preferred to travel alone in Chaos. It wasn't that he disliked the group he was with. They all seemed nice enough and he certainly couldn't sit idle while a fellow was being tortured. But now he felt responsible for keeping everyone safe. It was an unfamiliar feeling, to spend so much concern on others. The simple, unvarnished truth was that life was easier when you didn't have to worry about anyone but yourself.

Looking across the mountainside, Vin saw two shadows detach themselves from the rocks. It was Buck and Josiah, and they were clearly trying to draw the demons attention. The two Storm demons changed course towards the cave. But the Hobs either didn't notice or decided that Chris and Vin were smaller and thus weaker opponents. From the strength of Buck's swings the man looked much better off than when they had seen him last.

Vin skidded to a halt to ready his bow before the Hobs got too close. Chris rushed past him with a determined gleam in his eye. A quick head count showed five Hobs charging at Chris. Vin shot the one in the lead. The remaining four all tried to pile onto Chris at once, as they wailed and swung their clubs. A broad swing mortally wounded two of the Hobs. But their forward momentum and the push of their companions knocked Chris onto his back. The two surviving Hobs took advantage of their new positions atop the Rider and began pounding their clubs with glee. For the first time Chris regretted the decision to leave his shield with his horse back in the Empire. Arching his back to throw off his opponents, Chris then rolled to shift their positions. But the Hobs clung to him with surprising tenacity and soon the three became a whirling, clawing mass.

Unable to make a clear shot that would assist Chris, Vin turned his attention back to the cave. Buck and Josiah had dispatched one of the Storm demons and were now raining relentless blows on the other. But Vin noticed two more Storms that his companions hadn't seen. One was preparing to attack Buck's back while the other sought to slip into the cave unnoticed. Vin immediately launched two arrows. The first struck the demon in the shoulder and alerted Buck to its presence. The second arrow hit rock as the demon dove into the hole. Vin was forced to jump back suddenly when the melee of Hobs and Chris nearly rolled over his feet.

Chris finally kicked one of the Hobs off, sending in careening into some rocks a good eight feet away. The battered Hob started to rise but was suddenly run through, as a new combatant entered the fray. Chris ruthlessly snapped the neck of the sole surviving Hob. Rising back to his feet Chris took a quick appraisal of the new arrival. About his height, the human was much more muscular, with white hair and Chaos filled eyes. "Thanks for the assist," Chris acknowledged the fellow Rider.

"You're welcome," was his answer. "A friend is bringing spare mounts for all of your party, but we should regroup and form a defensive line until he arrives."

"Tyrchon!" gasped Vin, stunned to recognize a familiar voice paired with the unknown appearance. "What in Chaos happened to your face?"

Tyrchon chuckled before saying, "Sanctuary first, then we'll answer questions." And with that he headed towards Buck, Josiah and the cave.

* * *

><p>Despite several moments of tense anticipation, moments that seemed like hours to JD, he still was unprepared when a gray furred monster dove into their midst. JD's shot went wild and to add insult to injury, he dropped his bow. Nathan's first dagger landed a hit, but it wasn't nearly enough to slow the demon down. Ezra was forced to engage the Storm while JD desperately scrambled for his bow. The cramped tunnel made the demon's size a disadvantage. But its saber was so large against Ezra's short sword that Ezra was having a hard time parrying its heavy blows. Remembering Josiah's lesson not to underestimate their agility, Ezra surged forward with a quick thrust to the chest. The blow would have dropped any human, but the demon, though dying, was not finished yet. The Storm slashed with its left claws, raking Ezra's arm and causing him to drop his sword. Ezra stumbled in retreat, watching as a dagger and then an arrow embedded into the demon's neck and chest. The creature made one last futile lurch and died.<p>

"Many thanks, gentlemen," gasped Ezra as he picked up his sword.

"You better let me look at that arm of yours. Claw scratches infect easy," informed Nathan.

"Hold your fire!" came Buck's shout from outside. Crouching in the entrance the giant Dwarf grinned. "Everyone still alive in here?" Seeing that they were only slightly worse for the wear Buck continued. "Good news, boys, we've been reinforced and we've got mounts on the way. I think it's well past time we all flew this coop." In the silence that followed, the rumble of hoofs on stone could be heard. "Sounds like that's our ride, now."


	5. Prophesies and Visions

Sweet and succulent, Ezra couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed a more delicious peach cobbler. It was a shame that the magic dish that created the dessert only worked within the Sanctuary. Ezra would have loved to have such a platter in his own kitchen. Next to him JD was gobbling down a traditional Elvin stew, which he swore tasted just like his mother's. The oak table they sat at provided chairs for as many as fourteen, but only four others joined them.

Josiah sat beyond the table in a well-stuffed chair as he conferred with at least a dozen mages and two other Sunbird Priests. His group had taken over the cushioned seats and tables that made up the living room. The discussion seemed most intent between Josiah and a Reptiad mage, who despite his low second rank seemed to be the leader of the mages.

Across the table to the left, a railing guarded the drop to a lower level that housed, what looked to Ezra, like a cross between a library and an Apothecary's shop. Nathan was down there now replacing the medicinal herbs he had used on Buck.

Cabinet covered walls provided a kitchen area across from the sunken living room. At the far end of the Sanctuary an eye-catching relief was carved into the marble wall. It portrayed a twelve-foot tall, muscular man. Ezra had heard Tyrchon tell Vin that the image was of Len, the wizard that created this Sanctuary some 500 years ago. To the right and left of the relief, stairs rose to a third level. Two balconied hallways provided access to numerous other rooms. Tyrchon said those were comfortable bedrooms, each including a bathing area.

One of the bedroom doors on the right opened and Buck walked out, his arm around the waist of a female Rider who leaned comfortably against his side. Ezra found himself simultaneously awed and irritated that Mr. Buck was apparently so unconcerned by recent events that when given a chance to help plan their next course of action, he felt his time was better spent getting laid.

Across the table from Ezra and JD sat Chris and the young man Ezra recognized from the Imperial Ball as Lachlan son of Cardew. It was Lachlan who had met them on the mountainside, riding an impressive emerald stallion and leading a small herd of horses. Swinging off his horse, the young man approached Chris extending his hand. "Christopher? It's good to finally meet you in person. Please, call me Locke. Only my Grandmother calls me Lachlan."

Chris returned the handshake saying, "It's just Chris. I didn't expect to see you on this side of the Ward Wall."

"A sorceress I know with a perchance for clairvoyance sent a message that we'd be of more use to you in Chaos than Four Corners. I sent the rest of the Lancers ahead to fortify our Sanctuary defenses. In fact, on the way here the Emerald Horse and I picked up some stragglers that I think you might recognize."

Looking past Locke and his stallion, Chris saw the herd included Pony, Saint, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Peso. Chris, Buck, Nathan, Josiah and Vin each claimed their horses, leaving Ezra and JD the only two riders that needed mounts. Locke whispered in his horse's ear then asked Ezra to step forward. The Emerald horse neighed and stamped his hoof. From the herd came a ruby red horse with a thick purple mane and tail. Swinging up to the equine back, Ezra informed everyone that his new horse's name was Chaucer.

The Emerald horse turned its head towards JD and the youth immediately stepped forward. A neigh brought attention to a mount that looked half rat, but before it could scurry more than a few feet towards JD another beast ran between them. Black with a spotting of silver spikes the horse charged the rat-horse nipping and kicking to drive it back. Chris started to move Pony between JD and the wild mare, but JD dodged around Pony to throw his arms around the neck of the black, studded challenger.

"JD?" Ezra's voice carried more than a hint of concern.

"Miracle," gasped JD, "it's Miracle!"

Ezra looked confused for a moment then realization struck. "You mean that's your father's horse?"

JD nodded burying his face in the mare's mane. The mare responded by nuzzling the young man, even as its fierce spikes mysteriously retracted into its body.

"Looks like she's your horse now," said Chris. "Mount up. We've already been here too long."

JD's face lit up with a grin followed by a whoop as he leapt onto Miracle's back. Miracle launched forward, galloping down the mountainside with more ease than any horse had a right to. Locke and his Emerald stallion quickly took up the challenge and within seconds the two teens were racing neck and neck. The others followed, reaching the Sanctuary in minutes.

Sitting at the table, Chris and Locke were flanked by the Elvin scout Vin and his Human counterpart, Tyrchon. The four men had sketched out the area around the Glass Cliffs that would soon become their battleground. Strategies and tactics were tossed back and forth, strengths and weaknesses pinpointed and plans modified. But Ezra was doubtful that even the best strategy could defeat a demon army that so easily outnumbered them.

For his own part, Ezra had already reported all that he knew of the Black Church's plans. Josiah now possessed what little knowledge Ezra had of Marquay's wand. He'd passed on the information he gathered to the appropriate members of the military. Ezra's job was done. Now it was time to sit back and let the Chaos riders and the Imperial army deal with the threat. However, Ezra hadn't expected to become so emotionally invested. He didn't want to sit back and let others deal with the threat. He wanted to see the Black Church's defeat and participate in Marquay's downfall personally. Even though his duty was finished, he wasn't ready to let go. No doubt his mother would be quite disappointed in his lack of emotional control.

JD finished off the last couple bites of stew and did his best to not look out of place sitting, as he was, surrounded by the best warriors the Empire had to offer. JD tried to follow the plans being made. But truthfully he only understood about half of what was being said about 'force vulnerabilities' and 'flanking maneuvers'. Maybe it was part of a swordsman's training. Locke looked the same age as JD but he seemed to know exactly what Chris and the others were talking about.

Just then JD noticed that Ezra had finished his meal and was now paging through the book he had carried with him since their escape from the tunnels. JD's eyes were drawn to the brightly colored image of a large snake-like conveyance that seemed to be carrying hundreds of people. The word TRAIN was written in bold print at the top of the page. "Incredible! Where did you get that?" JD asked

Aware of the attention JD's exclamation had drawn, Ezra replied in a more moderate tone. "I liberated this tome from the dark mage Marquay. He claimed it was a pre-Chaos encyclopedia for children."

"May I see it for a moment?" asked Tyrchon. His eyes darted quickly over the image. "Nagrendra, would you come here?"

The large Reptiad that had been talking with Josiah stepped up to the table expectantly. "Do you require my assistance?"

Tyrchon turned the book entry towards Nagrendra asking, "Does that look familiar to you?"

The lizard man's tail tapped the ground as he studied the image. "Yes, I remember seeing something similar in Spiriastar's. . . asylum. This book is in excellent condition for a pre-Chaos relic. But I can't help but wonder why a Black Church mage would bother with it."

"Justification," Ezra spoke more to himself than the others, but when he saw the questioning looks he explained. "In between bouts of abuse and torture, Marquay tried to convince me that the City of Sorcerers was orchestrating the destruction of all pre-Chaos science and technology in an effort to keep our peoples ignorant and more easily controlled."

"Even if that's true," asked Vin, "how does opening the door for a bunch of demons going to fix the problem?"

"I did point out that flaw in Marquay's logic," assured Ezra. "His response was to give up on converting me and resume the torture." Vin grimaced in sympathy with Ezra.

"I'm hardly a fan of the City of Sorcerers," said Josiah, "but a conspiracy the likes of which you're describing seems a bit farfetched. Cardinal Burton of the Seekers had a much more benign reason for the rather gaping hole in our knowledge of the scientific arts. When the Chaos wave first hit, science was of no use. Only magic could hold Chaos at bay. The first several generations of Chaos Riders focused their energies on seeking out magical items that would give our mages an edge in the fight against Chaos. By the time people finally started seeking out other types of knowledge, it had already been destroyed by Chaos. Burton would likely give up his rank just to get a look at a book like this."

"So these things really existed. People used to ride those trains, the way we ride wagons and coaches. What else did they have?" JD didn't wait for an answer. He started turning pages, exploring the past wonders.

"Telegraphs and steam engines," listed Ezra. "If Marquay is to be believed, the Old Empire was in the midst of some sort of scientific renaissance with new inventions being announced every day."

"If the information in this book is so valuable perhaps we should copy it so it isn't lost again," suggested Locke.

"Does that book have anything on weapons?" asked Chris. "We could use an advantage or two right now."

"I don't see anything like that, Sir," said JD as he continued to page through the book. Nathan was now looking over his shoulder. Buck had also rejoined the group.

"Guess we'll have to win this battle the hard way," surmised Vin.

"Well, my staff and Tyrchon's sword should give us some advantage." Nagrendra hefted a three-foot ruby rod, which was capped with a red crystal hand clutching a large, radiant white diamond. But then he glanced at the scout's long sword uncertainly. "Assuming of course this isn't the wrong battle."

"Wrong battle?" asked Chris.

"It's a mixed blessing/curse that my sword carries," as Tyrchon spoke he drew the long and surprisingly slender blade. "I'm told this sword was ancient long before Chaos darkened our realm. The Imperial sword crafters I've taken it to have no idea what it's made of, but I have yet to encounter an object that I couldn't cut through with it. According to the legend I was told, the sword bearers who wielded it in the past were skilled warriors who became undefeatable when they drew it in battle. Unfortunately, each sword bearer eventually tried to use his or her sword in a situation where all its might was useless. They were consumed and then either broken or killed by their conflict."

"But how do you know which battle will be the wrong one to use your sword?" asked JD.

"I don't," admitted Tyrchon. "That's why I named it Restraint; to remind me to look at all my options and not just charge into battle."

Chris usually didn't waste time on legends and tall tales, but for some reason the weapon pulled his gaze. There was something so familiar about it. Chris forced himself to discard his distraction. "I don't see any way to avoid a headlong battle. When we left Four Corners there wasn't a mage powerful enough to stop Marquay's spell casting. That means our only way to prevent a demon invasion is to deny them access to the tunnels."

"The precipice is the key," Locke asserted. "If we can take the precipice they have no way to reach the tunnels or the Empire. The question is how do we take the precipice when they have three thousand and we have only eighty?"

Silence grew as no one could provide an easy answer. Then the air became electric. At the head of the table a small blue white sphere appeared. It grew in size then burst, leaving a small, cloaked figure in its wake. Every person in the Sanctuary had a weapon trained on the potential threat that had appeared in their midst.

"Hold!" ordered Locke. The command was obeyed, but it was clear that several were unhappy doing so.

Nagrendra stepped forward to push the hood off the small figure. The beautiful young face revealed brought a smile to the reptile man's countenance. "Xoayya, Chaos has been kind to you," he said, embracing the child.

A moment later Locke followed suit, saying, "It's good to see you looking so well."

"I'm sorry if my sudden appearance caused concern," said Xoayya.

"Perhaps," volunteered Josiah, "we were simply uncertain what to expect from a sorceress who had allied herself to Fialchar, Lord Disaster." Again bodies throughout the chamber tensed. Nagrendra appeared ready to challenge Josiah's comments. But it was the whisper behind him that captured Josiah's attention.

"It's not Xoayya's fault that the City of Sorcerers was too incompetent to see her properly trained. And, I won't allow her to be criticized for actions she took to protect the lives and happiness of her friends, myself included," growled Tyrchon.

Recognizing the voice of a man in love, Josiah chose not to take offence.

"Perhaps he should criticize my actions," Xoayya's defense of Josiah surprised everyone. "I think we both know that my choice to apprentice with Fialchar was more than a bit influenced by grief, as well as my own stubborn ignorance. My only defense is that when I agreed to the deal I knew it would be short-term." Xoayya shook her head. "I didn't risk sneaking away from Fialchar just to review my questionable life choices."

"Can you help us defeat the demon-church Alliance?" asked Locke.

"Indirectly," said Xoayya. "I know how the rift can be sealed. But I can probably help you most effectively by teleporting the Seven back to the Empire, and continuing to divert Fialchar's attention."

"Perhaps we want Fialchar's attention," countered Locke. "He's so determined to be the one to conquer the Empire that he'd probably be willing to attack the demon alliance just because they dared to usurp his position. He's done similar before against the Shadow demons."

"No, Locke." Xoayya's denial was desperately emphatic. "Fialchar has some clairvoyant ability. Enough that he's seen this battle will have no true victor. Both sides will be weakened, which will leave his position that much stronger. What he hasn't seen, what I've managed to hide from him is the presence of the Seven. If he notices their arrival in Chaos, he'll do everything in his power to destroy them, body and soul. That's why you need to let me teleport the Seven back to the Empire. The Ward Wall can't stop his passage but it does cloud his visions. And once the Seven are beyond his notice, we'll all be a lot safer."

"Now hold on, Darling," said Buck. "You keep saying 'the Seven'. Are you talking about us seven?" Buck waved his hand to indicate the others he'd come through the Ward Wall with. When Xoayya's nodded Buck said, "Chris may be mean enough to scare the rattle off a Viper. But Ezra and JD have never been to Chaos before, so they couldn't have drawn anyone's attention. And I don't see how any one of the rest of us could be enough of a threat to make Fialchar even spit in our direction."

"Any one of you isn't a threat, but all of you together are." Xoayya hesitated. There was so much to explain and so little time. "Perhaps you would understand better if you could see what I see." Stepping over to Chris, Xoayya asked, "May I hold your hand?"

Chris's eyes narrowed for a second before he silently offered his left hand, saying nothing as Xoayya chanted her spell. Instead of the familiar tingle he expected, Xoayya's spell washed over him like a cool rain on a hot summer day. His eyes slipped closed as he relaxed into the revitalizing sensation in spite of himself. A collection of gasps caused his eyes to snap open again. Chris wasn't surprised to see his old friend Buck beside him. But he was surprised to see Buck was glowing. A soft gold white light radiated from his body. The core of the glow seemed to be coming from a flaming feather embedded in his chest. Shooting off from the feather were six shimmering strands that connected Buck to JD, Vin, Ezra, Nathan, Josiah and Chris, himself. Each man possessed his own burning feather with glittering strands. The strands wove the Seven men together in a manner none of them could explain.

"Phoenix feathers!" said Josiah, his voice rumbling with awe. The two Sunbird members, who had been watching with the rest of the Riders, each dropped to a knee and began to pray.

"Not to sound ignorant," started Locke, "but what's a Phoenix feather?"

When Josiah appeared too stunned to answer, Xoayya explained, "A Phoenix feather is best described as a mark of destiny, perhaps a mark of the God's favor if you prefer. The Lost Prince Jhesti would be an example of a man whose soul bore a Phoenix feather. But unlike others who have carried destiny's mark, these Seven men have always been bound to each other in every one of their incarnations." Xoayya turned from Locke to Chris. "The first three incarnations have been long since lost to history. But in your fourth incarnation you were known throughout the world as the Magnificent Seven - seven men who forged an alliance that not only brought peace, but also launched a renaissance that benefited all humanity. When it was learned that several of the Seven had been reincarnated, the ruler of the time, Emperor Watson, decided to provide them with the best education and training the Old Empire could provide. The Emperor believed that the Seven were sent by the Gods to stop some horrible evil. So he had them trained in combat as well as politics and negotiations. As they grew Watson made them his most trusted advisors. Finally, the last of the Seven was born." As Xoayya continued with her tale, her hands flicked and mist formed above the table. From within the mist came the image of a young brunette.

"Mama," though JD's gasp was barely more than a whisper, it drew several concerned glances. Ezra, who knew JD's mother had died just three months before, laid a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"During her labor," said Xoayya, "she had a powerful clairvoyant vision which she refused to share with anyone but the Emperor." The image shifted to the women holding her babe as she talked to a dignified older gentleman. They began to move and speak for all to witness.

_"I'll try to describe what I saw as best I can," the young mother said to the Emperor. "I watched as a horrible evil attacked our world shattering everything in its path. This Calamity, long held captive by chains forged by the Gods, will be unleashed by its acolyte Corruption who seeks to control its power. The Seven will be the only brake on Corruption's ambition. Twice…" The brunette hugged close her infant son. "Twice Corruption will tear the Seven asunder. But they will be united a third time. And strengthened by the bonds of blood and soul, they will destroy Corruption and his master will again be chained."_

"Hearing the prophecy validated many of the fears and hopes Emperor Watson harbored for his people's future. But it occurred to him that the forces of evil might use the knowledge of the prophecy to trick fate and change destiny. So after swearing the young mother to an oath of silence regarding her vision, the Emperor told his people only the first half of the prophecy then he changed the second half saying the Seven would have to face Corruption twice before fate would decide the destiny of our world."

"Corruption. That's how Fialchar sees himself," mused Locke. "In fact, the exact words he once spoke to me were, "My dear child, I _am_ Corruption."(#1) Locke then shook his head. "But you know how I feel about predestination, Xoayya. I prefer to put my faith in free will. You do these men no justice, saddling them with prophesies to fulfill. I know that personally."

"Yet, even you have to admit that if someone believes something strongly enough, they can make that belief a self-fulfilling prophesy," argued Xoayya. "At the very least the belief creates a blind spot to exploit."

"Is Fialchar's belief in the prophecy strong enough to be exploited?" Chris spoke for the first time since Xoayya's arrival.

"Fialchar's belief in the prophecy was so strong that before the magic symposium where the Seal of Reality was to be presented, Fialchar gathered all the wealth that he had accumulated over the previous fifty years. Then he begged, borrowed and stole even more so that he could hire a virtual army of assassins. After consideration he decided not to attack Josiah or Nathan since they were honored guest speakers and their absence would certainly draw attention and concern. Perhaps even delay the presentation of the Seal. But the other five had no magic abilities and thus no reason to attend the symposium. In fact, it was a time of holiday and most people were with family and friends."

The mist again formed a picture this time of two men walking down a mostly deserted market street. Ezra was more than a bit disturbed to see one of the men carrying his face. And next to his doppelganger walked another JD. The clothing and hair were different, but it was definitely them.

_The two men looked relaxed and unguarded. JD turned to walk backwards so he could face his friend as he talked, obviously trusting Ezra to warn him of any hazards. The mist didn't reveal what alarmed Ezra but suddenly he was drawing his swords and JD was following suit._

_Menacing figures surrounded the two. Ezra and JD fought back to back with blades in each hand. But they could barely hold at bay the dozen attackers harrying them. Ezra gasped and then slumped back against JD. JD immediately lunged forward, swinging wildly to drive their opponents back. He snatched a small vile from Ezra's belt and smashed it at their feet. The resulting smoke and confusion was enough for JD to drag Ezra to the relative safety of nearby building. JD checked Ezra and found a nasty stomach wound that was pulsing blood. He started searching for something to bind the wound with, but Ezra grabbed his arm._

_"Run, JD, get out of here!" urged Ezra._

_"No, I won't leave you!" insisted JD._

_"Think, JD, if we've been attacked, how long until the others face the same. You need to warn them, and to do that, you have to survive." Ezra's whole will was focused on making JD listen to him._

_"Okay, but I'm only leaving to get you help. I want you to hide, in case they start searching the buildings. Don't do anything foolish, just stay alive," ordered JD._

_"Rest assured there will be no foolish heroics on my part. Now you should go while there is still time," pleaded Ezra._

_JD crossed to a window, and was surprised by the number of enemy warriors simply milling about outside. A red sparkle drew JD's attention to a mage casting a spell. "No, please no," whispered JD as suspicion turned in his gut. Two glittering arrows formed, shooting out from the mage towards the building where JD and Ezra now hid. Seeing the warriors turn to charge their location, JD quickly shoved a table and shelf up against the door. Looking down, JD found himself covered in a halo of red. So was Ezra. The magic arrows had done their jobs. JD and Ezra could go nowhere without leaving a bright eye-catching trail behind._

_"You could still escape," said Ezra. "Out a window or a back door." Shattering glass and splintering wood drowned his last words out._

_"No," said JD with accepting calm. "I'll stay here with you instead. If I'm going to die I'd just as soon do it standing beside my brother." A few moments later the fierce and deadly battle was over._

Back in the Sanctuary Ezra and JD were both looking decidedly unwell. As the vision from the past had unfolded the two men had not only watched it, but it had triggered the past life memories buried within their souls, allowing them to relive the incident. And there were few things more sobering than living through one's own death.

"Aw hell," cursed Vin as he saw his own likeness in the mist.

_The Vin of the past was traveling through a forest. He used the cover of its boughs and foliage to evade the arrows of his attackers. Circling around to eliminate the first two was easy enough, but Vin realized dozens were hunting him. He'd managed to avoid all but a few minor injuries, but he was bleeding and desperate for escape. Taking a chance, Vin drew the assassins in by playing dead. He forced his body to stay limp as the first of his enemies drew close enough to poke and kick him. When his ears told him he'd lured in enough opponents, Vin rose fluidly to his knees. He knocked several off their feet with his axe while others fell to the bite of his sword. A few intense seconds of combat left a scattering of eight bodies around Vin. But the victory was not without price. Vin now had a jagged cut in his side and a stab wound in his chest that felt as though it had damaged his lung. Knowing he had killed only a third of the enemy in his attempt to open a corridor of escape, Vin ran._

"Fialchar's first mistake was underestimating the connection between the Seven," said Xoayya. "The others all felt the deaths of Ezra and JD. Instinct pulled the survivors to each other. Fialchar's second mistake was relying too heavily on his paid murderers."

_A quiet ranch sitting on a grassy hill suddenly burst into flames. Next, what looked like a typical tavern collapsed inward allowing only smoke to escape._

"Though their homes were destroyed Chris and Buck were unharmed. Fialchar's less than scrupulous servants never bothered to verify their location. If they had, they would have known that the two had been call away by the Emperor just hours before to settle a nearby land dispute. Even Vin might have survived the initial attack had the assassins weapons not been coated in poison."

_The past Vin burst through a set of double doors. Within dozens of people moved about wearing the stereotypical flowing gowns and cloaks of wizards and sorceresses. Vin managed to stumble a few feet before collapsing. Nathan was the first to reach him. Kneeling, he started to utter a healing spell. Vin knew it was hopeless. He could feel his body shutting down. But there was one last thing he needed to tell his friend. Vin had always believed a smart warrior was one who learned as much as they could about their enemy. The first assassin he had backtracked and captured had been forced to endure some painful questioning. Vin hadn't learned nearly as much as he wanted, but he did have a name. Hopefully it would be enough to help the others. "Fialchar! Fialchar hired assas . . ."_

_"Vin!" the shout came from Chris, who had Buck and Josiah close on his heels. He skidded to a stop and knelt down next to his friend._

_"I felt JD and Ezra die," gasped Vin._

_"We all felt it," confirmed Chris. "And we'll make whoever did this pay just as soon as we get you fixed up."_

_"Fialchar did this. You've got to stop him." Vin had just finished when a static shock zipped through the air._

_Josiah sensed the unleashing of extraordinarily powerful magic and instinctively threw up a warding spell to protect his friends. Screams, cries and hysterical laughter preceded a tidal wave of Chaos magic. As Chaos washed around them everything changed. One wall became a waterfall that began flooding the room, another became soft dough that sagged and folded in on its self. Some of the people in the room vanished. Others transformed into animals both meek and wild. One poor man became a marble statue, while a woman walked in circles with her internal organs hanging outside her skin. Sweat beaded on Josiah's brow as he fought to maintain the ward against Chaos. "Nathan, I need help," he pleaded._

_Nathan shifted way from Vin to focus on bolstering Josiah's magic. Chris and Buck could do little more than watch as madness reigned around then. Working together Josiah and Nathan expanded the ward spell to include others. Those magic users that were relatively unharmed lent their abilities to Josiah's and after several long draining hours much of the city was protected. The rest of the world was now ruled by Chaos. After stabilizing the ward into a giant wall, Josiah tried to figure out what had happened. Seeing Vin's still body on the floor, Josiah realized that his friend had lost his battle with death in the midst of the Chaos wave. It pained Josiah greatly to know that he hadn't even noticed his friend's passing. Yet his end was clearly not unmarked. With the third death of the Seven, Buck's eyes had become hollow voids. Chris meanwhile looked the epitome of sorrowful rage._

_"By all that is holy, what has happened here?" demanded Nathan as he struggled with his own grief._

_"A group of magicians created the Seal of Reality," spoke up a twenty-something man with black hair and narrow eyes. "And in their arrogance they did nothing to safeguard its protection. Seconds after the Seal was presented, Fialchar destroyed it."_

_"Len?" Nathan was uncertain what to say to the powerful young mage he had known for several years._

_"You'll be going after Fialchar, next. I'd go with you but the Chaos wave has driven my master insane. She's now compelled to unmake."_

_"Unmake what?" asked Nathan._

_"Everything," answered Len. "It falls to me to stop her, if I can. Fialchar will likely be at his Green Keep. Father always goes there after a victory."_

_"What about your wife, Zin?" Chris couldn't see the sword-wielding warrior allowing her husband to face such danger alone._

_Pain flashed across Len's face, "Spiriastar killed her three days ago. In the time since I've hid our son from both she and Fialchar."_

_"Three days? But it's only been a few hours since…" Buck couldn't believe what he was hearing._

_"A few hours for you, five days for me, years for others, a few even felt time travel backwards. In the end it doesn't matter. We all have duties to do and we'll do them no matter how unlikely our chances of success." Len turned to go then hesitated. "Nathan, when my father fights, all that he thinks about is how to win," warned Len. "But sometimes the best way to get what you want is to simply deny your opponent a victory." Len looked ready to say something more, and then changed his mind. "I wish you luck."_

_"The same to you," returned Nathan._

_Chris, Buck, Nathan and Josiah set out for the Green Keep. They crossed the safety of the ward, leaving other mages to continue its maintenance and expansion._

_Josiah tried to recall everything he knew about Fialchar. He was a mid-level apprentice who spent more time engaging in politics than seriously studying magic. Fialchar's son, Len, had surpassed his magic abilities years before. In fact, it seemed impossible that Fialchar could have created spells strong enough to shatter the Seal of Reality. He had to have had help! Josiah remembered the debate about the Seal. Many had insisted it was impossible to make an object that encompassed all aspects of reality, while a few argued it could be done. Always in the background, was Fialchar, antagonizing both sides. The few times Josiah had tried to enter the supposedly theoretical debate; he had been called away by unexpected duties or emergencies. Looking back, Josiah wondered if Fialchar had helped encourage those distractions to keep his attention away from a debate that was moving beyond the theoretical to the dangerously real._

_Josiah was certain that the Chaos Wave was the 'Calamity' that JD's mother had predicted so many years ago. According to her prophesy the Seven would face their enemy twice before fate was decided. But Josiah had always felt something was missing from the prophecy. He had even asked Emperor Watson if there was more to it. The Emperor had countered with a request that Josiah trust him and not ask again. Josiah had acquiesced at the time but now he wondered how the prophecy had truly ended._

_They were about to challenge the corruption known as Fialchar. The Seven had been diminished to four. Josiah and Nathan were still weak from their building of the Ward Wall. For them the Chaos Wave had flooded their world but a few hours ago. But there was no way to tell how much time had passed for Fialchar. He could have had weeks or even months to prepare his defenses and combat spells. Josiah didn't even have his wand with him. He had thought it would be unnecessary at what was supposed to be a symposium on theoretical magic, and left it at home._

_Chris and Buck were elite warriors but neither possessed even a trace of magical ability. That would make them vulnerable to Fialchar's magical attacks. "Chris, when we enter Fialchar's Keep, you must let Nathan and I take the lead. Once we have him distracted with our spells, you and Buck will be free to attack."_

_Chris nodded silently as he continued on. He had noticed with detachment how Chaos continued to ravage the lands around them. Yet despite the madness all about, nothing hindered their passage. It was as though Chaos itself feared these four men._

_Nathan spotted the Keep first. He and Josiah entered the lair, defusing magical traps along the way. It was almost amusing to finally reach their deadly foe, only to find him calmly preparing for a bath. Josiah and Nathan were launching attack spells before they took their first steps into the room._

_The initial spells bounced harmlessly off Fialchar's protective shield. But when one forced the shield to collapse Fialchar went diving for his staff. He began attacking Nathan and Josiah with fireballs and lightening, never noticing the other two warriors that waited hidden in the hall. "How did the two of you get past my magic barriers?"_

_"Quite easily," taunted Josiah, "considering how sloppy and ill-conceived they were. No wonder you garnered so little respect from your peers."_

_"Yet I've destroyed my peers as well as those considered my superiors," bragged Fialchar. Chaos had changed the man, though only a bit. His skin looked to have turned into a metallic foil that coated his muscles. His beard was a curly, fine wire. His voice had taken a tinny quality. "I've even reduced the Magnificent Seven to the troublesome two," he mocked as he danced around the room to avoid one of Nathan's spells._

_With Fialchar's back to the door, Buck stepped through the entrance and thrust his sword into the dark wizard's kidney. "I think you need to learn how to count," Buck snarled in Fialchar's ear. Then he withdrew his edge with a violent jerk._

_Fialchar's shocked expression only grew as he saw Chris step beside Buck. "No!" he denied, "You're supposed to be dead. I saw your homes destroyed."_

_Both men stood firm despite the implications of Fialchar's comment. "That probably would have killed us if we'd actually been home when it happened," was Chris's sardonic reply._

_Nathan took advantage of Fialchar's distraction to cast his most powerful curse. A shower of red sparkles fell upon Fialchar sinking into his skin. Fialchar wailed as thousands of insects infested his body. The small creatures swarmed upon his right arm gnawing his flesh and muscle even as he shook it about trying to dislodge the tiny army._

_The four men closed on their weakened prey. In defiance Fialchar shouted, "Cuaifeach iomghoath!" His raised staff flashed brightly, and the storm began._

_Josiah was lifted off his feet and spun around the room until a wall brought him to a brutal stop. Buck was blown into Nathan and the two were tumbled around by the gale. Chris had managed to cling to the doorway but the cyclone prevented him from pressing an attack._

_In the center of the whirlwind stood Fialchar. A flash of red indicated a curative spell that healed his wounded kidney. But there was only a fizzle by his arm when he failed to dispel Nathan's curse. "You won't defeat me! I am Fialchar, the avatar of Chaos! I am Corruption!" He roared. His staff glowed red until the man himself was veiled in a scarlet halo. "Tine!" Fialchar pointed his staff at Buck and Nathan, still tangled in the windstorm._

_Chris groaned as Buck and Nathan were incinerated and two more chunks were torn from his soul. Across the room Josiah was conscious but dazed and only partially aware of how desperate their situation had become. Chris was unwilling to wait helpless while Fialchar picked his next victim. Eyeing the swirling squall Chris kicked off from the wall and launched forward into the wind. He felt the gust combine with his body's momentum to guide him towards Fialchar. Chris knew he'd probably only get one swing, so he targeted Fialchar's staff hoping that without it Josiah could overcome Fialchar's magic._

_Fialchar saw no threat in the airborne warrior. He was at the moment, quite certain of his invincibility. Those others never would have even scratched him, had they not taken him by surprise. In fact, Fialchar decided he had let Nathan and Buck die too quickly, too painlessly. He had the unlimited power of Chaos at his fingertips. Done correctly he could both enjoy the slow torment of his enemies and create an unending testament to the folly of those who would dare challenge him._

_Fialchar never had the opportunity to select a favored torture. Chris was blown close enough to attack. The logistics of swinging a broadsword while being whisked about a room certainly complicated Chris's ability to aim. But what his sword stroke lacked in finesse it made up for in brute strength. His steel cleaved through Fialchar's staff severing his conduit to Chaos magic. As the sword continued its swing it sliced off Fialchar's left arm. Chris had only enough time to see Fialchar's face fold in agony before the backlash of now uncontrolled magic flung him into a ceiling support, snapping his neck._

_Josiah tried to force his thoughts into some sort of order, even as pain battled to overwhelm him. The last of his brothers was dead. He had to ensure their sacrifice was not for naught. Fialchar spelled a magical bandage on the stump of his left shoulder. Then he began to chant. Josiah identified the spell as one designed to funnel the Chaos magic around them into Fialchar's very being. The spell would increase his power a thousand fold and make him an evil God among men. Again, Josiah wished his own wand were with him. He would have to compensate with a counter spell that was much less complex, but hopefully no less effective. Fialchar had shattered reality in a selfish attempt to garner vast power, with no regard for the millions of lives he would be destroying. Josiah thought it fitting to deny Fialchar that power. Focusing the last of his strength and will, Josiah hurled his last attack._

_The invisible magic hit Fialchar mid-chant. He stuttered then chanted faster trying to continue his weave. Suddenly the Chaos magic no longer answered his call. Thwarted once again, Fialchar wasted no thoughts on slow lingering deaths. He picked up Chris's sword with his bug-infested right hand and turned towards the sole surviving member of the Seven._

_"I see your future, Fialchar," said Josiah in a hoarse tone. The legion of spells he had cast since the Chaos wave hit had finally caught up with him, leaving him too drained to even lift his head. "I see a long life of frustration, with everything you most desire forever beyond your grasp."_

_"I still win," declared Fialchar. "Because you have no future at all." He plunged the sword into Josiah's heart, eliciting only the tiniest of sighs as the last of the Seven died._

Stunned silence dominated the Sanctuary as the images faded back into the mist.

"I find it most unfair that Mr. Vin, Constable JD and myself were denied the opportunity to challenge Fialchar face to face," Ezra's offended tone prompted several chuckles from the Lancers around them. It was enough to ease the tension in the chamber and also let Buck, Nathan, Chris and Josiah process what they had seen and remembered without the pressure of everyone staring at them.

"Yeah," chimed in JD. "Things could have been totally different if we'd been there. I mean, we could've helped . . . somehow." Imagining himself facing Fialchar he quietly admitted, "not sure how, but we could have tried."

"I don't think fighting Fialchar is something I'd actually wish for," countered Vin.

"And yet," said Xoayya, "the three of you caused Fialchar the most difficulty in your next incarnation."

"We did?" came three surprised voices.

Xoayya couldn't help but smile at JD's evident pride in knowing he'd somehow managed to create 'difficulty' for Fialchar. Vin still looked somewhat disbelieving, while Ezra's look was decidedly calculating. "By all means," he asked, "please elaborate."

"After the battle," explained Xoayya, "Fialchar remained in his keep to lick his wounds. He repaired the damage from Buck's attack. Then he crafted a magical arm to replace the one Chris severed. To make it so lifelike he had to bind it to his life force, which means it's a small but continuous drain on his energies. His repeated attempts to break Nathan's curse all failed and he still suffers its affects. But it was Josiah's spell that would have the most far-reaching consequences. Most mages, with time and study, are able to grow and strengthen their magical gifts. But Josiah's spell permanently crippled Fialchar's ability to grow magically. In the five hundred years since he's learned much and laid claim to many magical artifacts, but he's still no more powerful than he was before Chaos. And that is something he still curses you for." Xoayya's last words were spoken directly to Josiah.

Josiah was torn between pride and dismay. Hadn't he said to Nathan just the night before that it would take a better mage than him to deal with Fialchar?

"Almost a year had passed, by Fialchar's reckoning, before he left his keep to see what Chaos had made of his world.

But in the new Empire twelve years had passed. Fialchar was quite dismayed to find that every one of the Seven had been reincarnated during his convalesce. He wasn't about to wait for them to grow into adults and challenge him again. So he kidnapped the children from their own beds." Within the mist a new image coalesced.

_A cage of bars held seven children from the age of eleven to three-years-old. Outside the cage Fialchar had drawn markings on the floor, with gemstones laying anchor at their intersections. Foul incense burned from dozens of candles that encircled the room._

_The Seven boys, who had spent hours trapped in the cage, had lost enough of their fear to try an escape attempt. It helped that the cage they were in was better suited to holding adults than children. The bars were just wide enough that the three smallest boys could sneak through. Their plan, to run all the way back to the Empire, get their parents and come back to rescue the older boys was unlikely to succeed. But it was the best the seven tired and frightened children could come up with._

_Six-year-old Ezra, and five-year-old Vin, slipped silently through the bars, pulling three-year-old JD with them. They had crept two-thirds of the way across the room when Vin inexplicably tripped and slid across the floor._

_"Run!" shouted Vin when he saw Fialchar look their way. Ezra raced for the door dragging little JD at his heals. Fialchar cut them off, knocking Ezra to the ground and picking up JD by the scruff of his shirt. When the three-year-old was turned to face the monster known as Fialchar, he reacted in the only way his young mind could. JD opened his mouth and released a flow of noxious, acidic spew that hit Fialchar right in the face. When JD's stomach was empty his lungs took over powering a scream that could have shattered every window of even the largest cathedral._

_"Shut up!" shouted Fialchar, shaking the child with one hand while trying to wipe away the vomit with the other. Amazingly, JD's only response was to scream louder. Suddenly something small and hard struck Fialchar in the hip. Turning with JD still in his grasp Fialchar saw Vin scoop up one of the candles off the floor and hurl it. This one hit his shin._

_"Stop scaring JD!" yelled the boy. "Let him go!" Vin grabbed more candle ammunition._

_"Don't touch those," ordered Fialchar, "you'll damage the spell."_

_"I'll damage everything you've got until you send us home," threatened Vin. "Did you hear me? Send us home!"_

_"Home," sneered Fialchar. "By the time I'm done with you brats your parents won't even remember you existed." Fialchar had advanced several steps towards Vin when a needle pain thrust into the back of his thigh. Reaching around Fialchar plucked a pocketknife with a small two-inch blade from his limb._

_Still in the cage, Nathan shivered. The tiny knife had been a present from his father, despite his mother's objections, for his eighth birthday. The gift was so dear to Nathan that he kept it with him all the time, even sleeping with it under his pillow. Throwing the small weapon had been the only thing he could think to do to stop Fialchar from hurting Vin._

_"Enough!" roared Fialchar raising his hands. He released JD, but the boy didn't drop. Instead he floated above Fialchar; causing JD's screams to change in tenor yet not diminish. Vin, too, was lifted off the ground by an invisible hand. His response was to throw his last two candles at Fialchar's nose. Ezra was not nearly so calm about the new development. He scraped his fingers along the floor searching desperately for anything to hold on to. But the magic swept him up too, and floated him and the others back over the cell where they were unceremoniously dropped. Eight-year-old Buck managed to catch JD, who stopped crying once he felt safe again. But Ezra and Vin's descents were much less pleasant despite the others attempts to catch them._

_Josiah watched Fialchar replace and relight the candles Vin had thrown. At eleven years of age Josiah only knew a little bit about spell casting. But what he did know told him that the spell Fialchar was casting was going to be very bad. Josiah also noticed something that Fialchar seemed to have overlooked. Vin's earlier fall had wiped away one of the chalked symbols. And when Fialchar had knocked Ezra to the ground the boy had landed on two sapphires, which he had secretly pocketed before being deposited back in their cell. Now, Fialchar was chanting his spell totally unaware that several of its key components were missing. Turning towards the other boys, all huddled together, Josiah whispered, "Don't worry; we're going to be okay."_

_"I sure hope you're right," said Vin. "'Cause I want another shot at him."_

_"Me, too." agreed Chris._

_"We will," assured Josiah. He wasn't sure where his certainty was coming from; he just accepted the feeling as true. "We'll all be fighting Fialchar again."_

_Fialchar's chant reached its apex and brilliant light filled the chamber. When the room returned to normal the seven Boys had been reduced to ashes. "Finally," creaked Fialchar's metallic voice. "Now, that I've obliterated the souls of the Seven, no one will ever threaten me again." As Fialchar strutted from the room the image, and the mist that held it faded away._

"He tried to obliterate our souls," said Nathan. He knew he shouldn't be shocked but he was.

"He failed," Chris pointed out the most relevant fact of the whole story.

"But he'll try again if he learns we've been reincarnated, correct?" Ezra liked his odds of surviving Chaos less and less.

"Unfortunately, yes," confirmed Xoayya. "Fialchar still believes the spell he cast to destroy you worked. It threw your souls so far through time it would never occur to him to even look for you now unless . . ."

"Unless we became involved in something that would draw his attention," reasoned Ezra.

"Exactly," said Xoayya. "Fialchar may not be willing to participate in this battle, but he will be watching it. Fialchar loves to watch his enemies die, especially when they're killing each other." The redhead shuddered a bit at her master's pastime. "But if he sees even one of you fighting amongst the Lancers it will spell doom for all."

"I guess we'll be trying to take the precipice without you," Locke said to Chris.

But Chris wasn't willing to hide in safety while others sacrificed their lives for the Empire. "You're trying to send us home, which means you don't think we're ready to face Fialchar, or fulfill the prophecy."

"The prophecy said: strengthened by the bonds of blood and soul. For all intents and purposes you've just met. You tell me if you think you're ready," Xoayya challenged.

Chris left Xoayya's challenge unanswered. He knew Buck's skills and abilities as well as he knew his own, and he was fairly familiar with Nathan. But the others were a mystery to him. He'd liked what he'd seen from Josiah and Vin. Even JD and Ezra had surprised him with their adaptability and perseverance. But it would take a lot of work to make them into the type of cohesive fighting force he'd want to take against a foe as experienced as Fialchar. On the other hand, there was no time like the present to begin a little hands-on training. "If we're not ready to face Fialchar, and we can't fight the demons because Fialchar might notice, then it would seem that our abilities should be turned against those of the Black Church. You said earlier that you could teleport us to the Empire. Can you send us to the caves?"

Before Xoayya could do more than nod, Josiah said, "I'm betting the way to close the rift that you spoke of is going to involve the retrieval of my wand."

"Your wand?" asked Nathan.

"A simple bronze wand just twelve inches long with a teardrop ruby at its cap?" Josiah looked to Ezra to confirm the wand he had seen. Ezra gave a wide-eyed nod; unconsciously rubbing the place the wand had hurt him. "Two lifetimes ago I made a wand that would allow me to use both forms of magic. Back then magic wasn't seen as Chaos or Imperial, good or evil. There was simply Focus magic and Dispersion magic and I was skilled at both. Had I not thought the wand most likely destroyed by the Chaos wave I might have used it against Fialchar. Somehow Marquay found it and is planning to use it to rip a hole in our Ward Wall. In this case what can tear a rift can also repair a rift. It's simply a matter of getting my wand back."

"Somehow I doubt that Marquay is going to turn it over peacefully," said Ezra.

"It wouldn't be any fun if it wasn't a challenge," said Chris. Ezra found the grin on his face quite unsettling.

"You're sure you want me to send you to the Black Church caves?" Xoayya wasn't certain this was the best way to protect the Seven.

"Marquay and his Churchers have been calling the shots ever since we learned of their plans. It's time we took the initiative away from them."

"Perhaps we should go too," spoke Keith, one of the two Sunbirders. "As priests of the Sunbird it is our duty to protect those who bare his mark."

"No," countered Chris. "The Valiant Lancers are going to be too outnumbered already. We can't afford to take anymore from their number." Locke nodded silent thanks.

"Besides," added Josiah when it looked like the priest would continue to argue, "Marquay will likely open the rift the moment we appear. The best way you can help us is by preventing the demons from entering the Empire and surrounding us."

"It's decided then," said Locke. "We'll deal with the demon army. The Seven will handle the Black Church. Hopefully we'll all be able to toast each other when the battle is over." A murmur of agreement passed through the group.

Chris took a quick glance at his new party to be sure they were ready. Then he turned to Xoayya. "Do it." A soft chant, a blue glow and Xoayya and the Seven disappeared.


	6. Chaos on the Rise

The Black Church Sorceress known as Ena paced back and forth across the length of the room. "This is an unmitigated disaster!" she hissed. "First, the two prisoner mages escape, with the help of a spy who has been moving amongst us for . . . who knows how many months. Then aforementioned spy destroys the blood sacrifice. We finally capture the spy only to have him escape before we can extract anything beyond the most miniscule of details from him. And, if that weren't enough, we have the Constable of Corners and half a dozen Chaos Riders wreaking havoc in the very heart of our headquarters, leaving dozens of our most loyal members dead. Our spotters on the surface say several of our tunnel exits have already been discovered. Even now Riders and Imperial Reservists scout for more." Drawing in a deep breath, Ena took a moment to regain her composure. "The only reasonable thing to do is accept our failure, in this instance. We should grab what we can and run while there's still time. Oh, but wait! We can't run, because when the escaped mages, and the spy, and the Constable, and the Chaos Riders finally decided they'd done enough damage and were ready to leave our supposedly secret caverns, they did so using our clearly not-so secret, escape tunnel. Then, they collapsed it behind them so that no one else could use the escape tunnel without first digging through several hundred thousand tons of rock. Why are you just sitting there staring at me? Do something!"

"Calm yourself, Ena," said Marquay in an infuriatingly relaxed voice. "We are still a long way from the disaster you're so eager to point out."

"But all our plans…" started Ena.

"Plans are no more than a trail map to a mountain spring. The map might be destroyed in a fire; the trail could be washed away by a storm. Does that mean the mountain spring is unattainable? Of course not, it only means we must find a different way to reach our goal. That's what Chaos is all about, my dear, innovation and adaptation. You speak of the members who have died. But I say look at those still with us: Survivors who watched their brothers and sisters brutally slain. They are more resolved than ever to fight Imperial tyranny. The attack erased the illusions held by many, you included; that we could relax and drop our guard because our goal was almost achieved. So near to our victory we must be at our most vigilant. We must adapt and overcome every challenge our enemies throw our way to prove ourselves worthy of Chaos."

"You sound as though you'd like to thank them for what they did," Ena spoke somewhat petulantly.

"I don't hate all Imperials the way you do, Ena. Misguided though they are I can still respect their abilities, if not their choices. The spy for example: You might be interested to know his real name is Ezra son of Standish. I cast a clairvoyance spell that revealed a great deal to me. I'd always thought there was something familiar about the man. It turns out that I once crossed paths with his father, Constable Standish. I had thought he'd be an excellent addition to our cause, but I was quite young at the time and others overruled me. Such a waste," Marquay shook his head at the unpleasant memory. "And of course the Empire has used his father's death to manipulate Ezra into his current career. It's a shame really."

"You're not still thinking you could convert him?" Ena couldn't understand why Marquay was so preoccupied with the spy.

"To have Ezra's intelligence and abilities bound to our cause, I would be willing to dedicate quite a bit of time and magic. But such things will have to wait for another day. Our immediate concern is finding a new source to power our Ward rending spell."

"Well, I believe we're fresh out of spare enemy mages," Ena's petulance had spiraled into sarcasm.

"Ena," Marquay chided, "have you heard nothing that I've said?" He rose from his chair to stand before her. "Innovation; adaptation; think outside the box or be trapped by it."

"Those are just words! There is no way to rend the Ward Wall and then sustain its opening for more than a few minutes, without killing yourself." Ena pointed out.

Marquay laid a hand gently against Ena's face, a look of extreme disappointment in his eyes. Suddenly his fingers jerked to the side, his nails scratching her cheek. "Draiocht sioc." Ena's body became unnaturally still while her eyes swiveled in panic. "It's a shame that you couldn't come up with a better answer, Ena. Now I will have to use your life-force to power our spell." Marquay dabbed the blood from Ena's face with a silk cloth. "I realize that it must be crushing to know that you'll likely die even as our dreams finally reach their fruition. But at least it will be in a worthy cause, and there is still a minute possibility you could survive. After all, with Chaos, anything is possible."

* * *

><p>Tsvala walked across the precipice, barely noticing the way others cleared a path. The Storm demons stepped back out of respect due to a War Queen. The Hobs scurried away in fear. Which was probably for the best since alliance, or no alliance, she was still as likely to step on a Hob as ignore it. In fact, the stink of Hob fear mixed with their usual scent of raw sewage was so strong that Tsvala was tempted to rip out a few throats just to improve the air quality. Allying with the stupid beasts had not been Tsvala's first choice. She still had a hard time understanding why several powerful Storm clans had declined to join her army. Their reasoning seemed absurd to Tsvala; that it would be wrong to take such aggressive action against a people who had so recently helped them defend their own border from Spiriastar and her crystal army. The Empire hadn't helped them defend the clans, a few stranded Chaos Riders had. That was but one instance of cooperation prelude ed by centuries of pillaging and invasion. She had pointed this out to the other clan leaders, but Litviro and several others had still refused to join. Needing larger numbers for a successful invasion, Tsvala turned to the other tribes. After all uniting foreign tribes had been quite successful against Spiriastar's army. It was known that the Empire was based on four allied races. Tsvala liked to think of her current actions as beating the Empire at its own game.<p>

The Flames had been surprisingly eager to join but their numbers were few and spread far apart. A mere fifteen were amongst her ranks. The Vipers were vicious and worthy allies, but it had taken repeated acts of good will to bring them to her perspective. Hobs, on the other hand, were so lacking in skills, that the best thing that could be said about them was that they were numerous, and Tsvala intended to shove those numbers right down the Empire's throat. She didn't expect many Hobs to survive but they should at least be able to clear a path for her invasion army of Storms, Vipers and Flames. No more would Imperials attack her clan then flee behind the Ward Wall where she could not follow. This time the fight would be on the Empire's home ground and there would be nowhere for them to run.

"The human sorcerer has signaled he is ready to begin our magical attack on the Ward Wall," growled the male Storm before Tsvala. She appraised Akvan, the wizard who had been her mate for many years. "Are all of your magic users ready? The signal came earlier than originally planned."

"We understood the timetable might change when the Chaos Riders discovered our position. All is ready, my Queen." Behind Akvan, the other demon mages waited.

"Then begin. Let us see how brave the Imperials are when they can't hide behind their Ward Wall. I'll order our fighters forward." Tsvala turned away as the growling chant started.

* * *

><p>Several hundred Humans, Elves, Dwarves and even a Reptiads had gathered in the giant cavern known as the Plaza. Many were dressed for travel with torches and packs of supplies, including a small pink amulet that would enable the wearer to understand and speak the various demon tongues. Their job would be to lead groups of demons through the tunnels to the Empire. Marquay knew opening the rift wouldn't be enough. So while some Black Church members dug tunnels, others found safe hideaways from which the demons could launch their attacks. It was now common knowledge that the authorities had discovered some of the tunnel exits, but all were ready to help their demon allies fight their way free of the caves. Still others had come to simply wait in nervous anticipation for what was sure to be the most historic moment of their lifetimes.<p>

"Master Marquay," called Garvey, "I've had Neal and Quillon start the spell casting. But I haven't seen Ena yet." Garvey was usually following Ena's orders, since he was a rank-three mage and she was rank-four. But he was hoping his initiative would show Marquay how valuable he was.

"You did the right thing, putting Neal and Quillon to work," praised Marquay. "And there's no need to be concerned for Ena. Her energies have been dedicated to helping our cause in another way. Join Neal and Quillon, I have a few more ingredients to add before I complete our circle." Garvey smugly joined the two lesser mages. Marquay pulled a bloodstained silk cloth from his cloak. He added it to the spell brew. A few whispered words ensured that the still damp blood on the cloth bonded Ena's life and magical energies to the rending spell. Satisfied by the immediate power surge, he pulled out the ruby wand. Once its crystal cap took on a radiant glow Marquay stepped towards the others ready to lend his voice to their song of power.

* * *

><p>Darkness greeted the Seven as they materialized in the damp underground. Josiah started to whisper a light spell, but Ezra beat him to it with a lantern. After taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim light Chris admitted, "I don't recognize our location. Do any of you know where we are?"<p>

"We're straight burrow, almost half a mile due West of the Plaza, between some of the living quarters and the Purgatory exits. Right?" Buck answered with certainty, letting Ezra confirm his statement with a slight tilt of the head. When Chris raised an eyebrow at his old friend, Buck said, "What? Did you forget I'm a Dwarf? I grew up in tunnels like these."

"I thought you grew up in a Pleasure Temple," said Chris.

"I surely did. In Besdan, everything is under ground, even the Pleasure Temples." Buck's grin turned serious. "But if I remember Ezra's map right, there isn't a way to easily reach the Plaza without risking a lot of traps."

"There is a possible way not on the map," volunteered Ezra. "More than once the building of a passageway was abandoned when the rock formations encountered proved too difficult to dig through. One such passage exists between here and the Plaza, enabling us to avoid both traps and discovery. It will be a tight squeeze, especially for Buck and Josiah, but I believe we can make it."

"We need to hurry," said Nathan. "I can feel them churning the magic for their spell."

"Lead the way," directed Chris. Ezra did lead with Buck and JD behind him, Josiah and Nathan following in the middle and Chris and Vin taking up the rear. They reached a boarded-up hole in the wall without drawing any attention.

"I know we should be glad that we haven't run into anybody yet. But all this quiet is making me nervous," whispered Nathan.

"Me too," agreed JD. The crack of splitting wood echoed through the tunnel when Buck ripped the boards away from the entrance.

"No doubt," explained Ezra, "the occupants of the caverns have all gone to the Plaza to witness Marquay's grand achievement. The man loves to work an audience."

"Wonderful," Chris spoke dryly. "That means more people to fight our way through." Chris noticed Vin was fidgeting beside him. "Problem?" he asked.

"Never been much for small places," Vin admitted, gazing at the hole in the wall. When Chris's only reply was to raise his brows questioningly, Vin assured, "I can handle it. I've dealt with worse."

"I recommend removing your weapons and pushing them before you when we have to navigate the crawlspace," instructed Ezra. He removed his own weapons and scooted down the tunnel. The group made good progress given the conditions. They were able to run, albeit bent over, through most of the shaft. The section they had to crawl through was about 30 feet long. As predicted; Buck and Josiah had the hardest time squeezing through the gap. Buck managed with a bit of shimmying. But Josiah had to resort to using a construction spell to reshape the rock around him. Vin crawled through without ever slowing and was breathing quite hard when the tunnel widened again. The group strapped their weapons back into place.

For a moment Nathan and Josiah both froze. "Was that . . ." started Nathan.

"Yes," confirmed Josiah. "The Black Church has started without us. In a matter of minutes a rift in the Ward Wall will open."

"And in come the demons," JD shuddered.

"Okay, we're going to make this simple," began Chris. "Our initial attacks need to be focused at the Black Church mages. Try to get as close to them as you can without drawing notice. Our primary goal is to get the wand from Marquay to Josiah. Buck, you and JD should consider yourselves Josiah's bodyguards."

"I hardly need such protection," protested Josiah.

"Until one of us can use the wand to seal the rift, you do," insisted Chris. "As for the rest of us, we stay together, and watch each other's backs. If we can reseal the Ward Wall the Black Churchers will likely scatter in defeat."

"We hope," tossed in Buck.

The Seven warriors moved further into the heart of the caverns. They could hear the murmured awe of the crowd gathered in the plaza. There was enough light filtering from up ahead that Ezra turned out his lantern. Their first view of their battleground showed that the large numbers of Churchers were all focused on the lights show Marquay was providing. He and three other mages were gathered at the center of the three tunnels, which led to Chaos. The Ward Wall was like a shimmering red curtain that shielded all three entrances. But the middle one started to fluctuate its color, shifting back and forth from opaque to translucent: Giving short glimpses of the demons waiting on the other side.

Vin motioned silently to a ledge that had been built high into the left side of the cavern. Ezra recognized it as the workstation for Isleen. Ezra had often wondered if the Dwarf had resented the nature of her birth, and built her work area so that she could look down on others for a change. Regardless of the female's motivation she had constructed a sturdy wide ledge with a three-foot railing of solid rock; which would provide the group with both high ground and a natural defense from below.

They moved cautiously behind the crowd, edging their way towards Isleen's ledge. A glance at the Ward Wall showed a small rift the size of a melon had opened. It continued to grow at a steady pace. A few feet from the ledges stairway, Vin silently smothered a woman blocking their way. Chris snapped the neck of her companion, but no one noticed the sound of breaking bone beneath the cheers of excitement as the first demon stepped through the rift. Marquay welcomed Tsvala on her first steps into the Empire.

Halfway up the steps, Vin recognized the War Queen and instinctively aimed his arrow. A squeeze on his shoulder was accompanied by the reminder, "The wand is more important than the War Queen." Vin realized that he couldn't yet get a clear shot of Marquay so he continued up the stairs hoping for a better view.

"Kelly," called Marquay. A muscular blond woman stepped forward. To Tsvala, Marquay explained, "Kelly will guide your first squadron."

"And I will go with them," Tsvala's words were a series of growls translated by the magic amulet. Kelly bowed to the War Queen, then turned about and jogged out of the Plaza while the crowd cheered the storm demons' passage, even as they scurried to get out of the way. The Storms paid the people no mind. They knew they had a war to wage beyond these rocky walls.

On the ledge Vin and JD readied their bows, Josiah and Nathan whispered chants, Buck and Chris moved a desk and shelves to provide even better cover, and Ezra guarded the stairs. "I've got a clear shot," informed Vin.

Chris moved up beside him, and then glanced at Josiah and Nathan to see if they were ready. When they nodded, he gave his order: "Fire!"

* * *

><p>Locke and his Emerald stallion were the first to top the ridge overlooking the glass cliffs. The Emerald horse's ability to fly when it wanted to left the other mounts all struggling behind, as they tried to pick their way up the steep mountain trail. Locke drew his sword when he noticed movement a few yards ahead. He lowered the blade when recognized Tyrchon loping towards him.<p>

"It's not good," the scout announced. "Demons are already moving into the tunnels in small groups. It was mostly Hobs, with one or two squads of Storms interspersed. Do you think they've started to tear the Ward Wall already?"

"According to Nagrendra, they're close. That's why I came ahead of the rest. I was hoping that if I could see the terrain for myself it might give me a better idea of where to direct our attack." Locke's eyes swept back and forth across the landscape. "It looks even worse than when we sketched it out in Sanctuary. They'll see us coming down the mountainside and have plenty of time to marshal their defenses."

"We could steer towards the Hobs on the obsidian block. As a group they're the most likely to break before our advance," advised Tyrchon.

"They're also a good distance from the precipice and its tunnels. The War Queen did a good job of staging the battlefield. All of their best troops are between our goal and us." Looking to Tyrchon, Locke asked. "Is there anything you can tell me about these particular Storm clans? I know you fought beside quite a few of them when you were trying to stop Spiriastar."

"Actually," said Tyrchon, "from what I've seen, none of the Storm demons I allied with against Spiriastar are involved in this army. I can't be certain with the numbers down there. But I didn't see any of their clan markings."

"So maybe not all Storm clans liked the idea of invading the Empire," mused Locke.

"It's probably why the Hobs are here. The War Queen couldn't raise the army she wanted, so she's compensating by using Hobs as fodder." Tyrchon paused and gave Locke's horse a considering look. "Do we have any mounts besides yours that can fly?"

"Unfortunately, no." Looking back down at the Glass Cliffs, Locke came to a decision. "We'll flank the demons by coming down the mountain just above the glass, obsidian break. It will put us within twenty yards of the precipice. Their numbers will be close to our own, until they can bring up reinforcements up the trail."

"That's going to be a hellish decent," warned Tyrchon. "We're libel to lose a lot of good mounts, and probably their Riders as well."

"Maybe not," said Locke, "My cousin Kit once mentioned a spell that gave one of his soldiers amazing sure-footedness. Let's see if Nagrendra can design something similar for the horses."

Nagrendra, Kit and the other Riders were found not far away, climbing the last few meters up the mountain. The diligence of their scouts had allowed the mounted war party to thus far escape detection. But every soldier knew they were living on borrowed time.

After listening to the young leader's suggestion, Nagrendra considered the practicality of Locke's idea. "You want a conveyance spell that will grant sure-footedness to all of our mounts so we can charge down a steep mountainside into a horde of demons," he verified. At Locke's nod he began pointing out the pros and cons. "Well, the charge itself should be quick, which means we can save energy by crafting a short term spell. But if we do, it will make retreating by the same path impossible. And short-term spell or not, you're asking me to cast sixty separate spells just moments before battle. I'll be too drained to fight."

"The other mages and I could share the burden," suggested Keith. The Sunbird mage would have preferred to accompany the Seven, but he accepted his duty to the other Riders. He was determined to serve them to the best of his ability.

"With a dozen mages that would mean about five spells per caster," calculated Nagrendra, "still a drain, but not nearly so significant." The Reptaid's eyes returned to Locke. "It will take at least twenty minutes to fashion the spells to work as you want. Are you willing to wait that long?"

"I'll have to be. It's our best chance for success," answered Locke.

"Gather the other mages," Nagrendra instructed Keith. "All except Sorcha, I want her to keep her focus on the Ward Wall." Keith hurried away.

"Can you tell how well the Ward Wall is faring against the attack?" asked Locke. Despite his natural curiosity, Locke found many of the rules and laws governing magic and its affects somewhat confusing.

"Not well. It would seem that our enemies designed an effective barrage. Sorcha is monitoring how quickly the wall is weakening. When the rift is large enough for troops to move through, she'll alert us," replied Nagrendra. Then he began to cast the necessary sure-footed spell on his own muscular warhorse. Moments passed as he moved on to craft spells for Kit's mount, then Tyrchon's and then a forth horse's hooves were spelled.

Cantering steps drew Nagrendra's attention to a bear faced pony and it's Rider, a shorthaired blonde woman with cooper skin and Chaos filled eyes. "Our time is up!" warned Sorcha. "I felt the demons moving through the rift in the Ward Wall."

"Sorcha, help spell the last of the horses," Locke ordered. Without waiting for a reply he continued, "Those whose horses have already been spelled, form up beside me!" Locke urged his emerald horse further up the mountain. They needed to continue south along the ridgeline if they wanted to come down in the right location. When he spotted his target directly below, it took just the slightest urging to get the Emerald horse to leap gracefully down the mountainside, his hooves always a foot above the ground.

Kit's mare and Tyrchon's gelding followed gamely enough. But several of the other horses hesitated at the steep descent. Spelled hooves could do little to convince a horse that charging down a cliff was a good idea. Only the fact that they were trained warhorses, used to blitzing into demons and death allowed the creatures to overcome their instinctive fears. Firm commands from their Riders guided the horses the first several steps over the edge. The horses relaxed considerably when their hooves magically found solid footing. The Riders had their own difficulties with the decent. The incline was so steep that the Riders had to literally lay back on their horses, an uncomfortable position even without their armor and weapons. A couple of Riders were hard pressed not to slide off their mount's backs. The last of the Riders joined the charge and the many hooves caused a small avalanche of obsidian and crystal shards to rain down upon the demons below.

Because this part of the path to the precipice had seemed so inaccessible there were few designated guards. The Hobs in the area scattered in terror when they saw the cause of the falling crystal. The Storm demons determinedly drew their sabers. Locke's horse stomped through their front ranks, while he swung his sword to help clear a path for the Riders behind him.

* * *

><p>Arrows sailed across the cavern towards the gathering of Black Church mages and demons. Cries came from two of the lower ranked mages as Buck's arrow sunk into a hip and JD's found a shoulder. But the missiles Vin and Nathan had aimed at Marquay struck an invisible barrier and then fell harmlessly to the ground. "Construction magic!" Nathan spoke the words like a curse.<p>

Their opening attack brought a swift response from the demons and Black Churchers assembled. At least twenty of the Churchers ran at the Seven, weapons raised. The demon War Queen also looked ready to charge the threat.

"There are only seven of them," shouted Marquay. "Let my Black Church followers deal with the Riders. It's more important that we continue to move your warriors through the caves. The success of your invasion depends upon it." As he spoke, a troop of Hobs scurried after their Black Church guide. Tsvala glared at the Riders on their perch above the crowd. She disliked the idea of avoiding a fight, but she heard the logic of Marquay's words. She couldn't be distracted by a minor scuffle when there was an invasion underway.

On the other side of the cavern the Seven were debating the merits of plan B. "So much for easy," sighed Vin. "It looks like shooting the wand out of Marquay's hand isn't a possibility."

"It also looks like Locke and his Lancers failed in their attempt to stop the demon army's advance," added Ezra as he knocked two Churchers down the stairs.

"Marquay and his mages managed to work their spell even faster than we expected," Chris pointed out. "The Lancers will do what they can, but we can't afford to rely on their support. Josiah, isn't there some way you can take the wand from Marquay magically?"

"Now would seem to be the time to find out," said Josiah. He set his gaze upon the wand and gathered his magic and will. "Cagadh cara duinn focas agus anord filleadh go do crudoir laimhe."

The calm facade Marquay had presented to his allies slipped as he felt the wand he had found so many years before in Chaos drawn from his hand. He wasted no time countering the spell. Josiah may have crafted the wand in a past life, but that link was strained by 500 years of distance. Marquay, on the other hand, had spent the last fifteen years in direct possession of the wand. He had used that time to uncover its secrets and bind its power to him. Josiah's impromptu spell managed to pull the wand from Marquay's fingers and float it several feet across the cavern. But then it stopped, wavered for a moment and suddenly flew back into Marquay's grasp.

Josiah cursed his failure even as he shouted; "Cover!" to warn the others of Marquay's retaliatory attack.

Marquay could no longer afford to assume that his followers would defeat the Chaos Riders. Not when the Sunbird Priest seemed to have a surprising connection to his looted wand. Marquay sent several bolts of lightning towards his adversaries. It wasn't nearly as powerful as he'd have liked. But too much of his energies were focused on maintaining the rift. He had to keep it open for the demon invasion to continue. Marquay decided the best way to protect the wand, and thus the rift, was to move it beyond the reach of the Priest and his allies. Marquay didn't even check the success of his attack before fleeing the Plaza with the wand.

When Josiah had warned the others to seek cover, they had immediately ducked down behind the dubious protection of the balcony railing though Ezra, standing at the top of the stairs, could do little more than crouch as low as possible. Only Josiah remained standing. He knew it would take too long to build a barrier strong enough to deflect lightening, so instead he conjured a lightening rod in the middle of the cavern. The rod redirected and absorbed much of the lightning's electricity. But those unfortunate persons that stood near the rod all felt the sting of errant shocks. No one escaped the deafening thunder, which was only magnified by the enclosed cavern. Many clutched their ears, staggered by the physical force the sound carried. Several seconds of eerie silence followed.

The cavern floor was a rolling mass as those who were able scrambled back to their feet. Some made ready to charge the Seven's position, while others continued to guide the steady flow of demons. The three remaining mages both wounded and not, did the best they could to seek their own shelter behind some shelves and barrels.

"Anyone hurt?" asked Chris.

"I'm good to go," answered Vin.

"I'm just getting started," assured Buck.

"I'm fine," said Nathan as he aimed his dagger at the not quite hidden shoulder of one of the wounded mages.

"I'm okay," answered Josiah, "but Marquay fled the Plaza with the wand."

"I'm alright aside from the ringing in my ears." The group was quiet for a moment before JD asked, "Where's Ezra?"

* * *

><p><em>This is insanity! <em>There was no other way to describe it. Ezra took a moment to focus his will and activate the magic hidden in the finely crafted boots he wore. _There is no rational reason to voluntarily dive into the midst of one's __enemies, not even to retrieve Josiah's ruby wand._ He secured the filched cloak more closely around his face. _ Buck and JD would do their best to protect Josiah, and with the others helping they should be able to hold off the hordes for a few more minutes._ Maneuver past the reeking troupe of Hob demons. _Six maybe seven more minutes, until their numbers became too great, until two of my only friends are torn limb from limb._ Ezra ruthlessly shoved that thought aside. Finally, the entrance to the mage quarters was in sight. _Josiah is an experienced warrior mage. JD is inexperienced but has proven quite determined during the recent unpleasantness._ Slip like a shadow into the corridor. _The others are all trained soldiers. They will be able to protect each other._ A sudden warmth in the toes of his boot warned Ezra that he was nearing a magic barrier of some sort. _My own skills are of little use in an endeavor such as group defense. It makes sense for me to be the one to retrieve the ruby wand._ Ezra lifted his right leg, hoping that these boots were as good at dispelling magic as the Lord of Shadows had assured him they would be. _Of course, I probably should have told the others what I was doing, but I didn't know myself until I was halfway across the Plaza._ Ezra kicked hard against the invisible magic barrier. Arches of fire scattered from his foot. _When the concussion from the lightening strike knocked me off the stairs, I looked up to see Marquay scurrying away like the rat that he is. With so many of their enemies dazed and confused I had to seize the opportunity and launch into pursuit._ The flickering flames consumed the last of the magic barrier and again the corridor was dark. _Besides the others will be too busy battling their enemies and protecting each other, especially Josiah, to spare even a thought in my direction._

It would have been logical to assume Marquay had retreated to the place he knew best, his own quarters. But Ezra's memory told him that there had been a notably absent mage. Ena was Marquay's second in mage craft and a near constant companion. It made no sense for her to be missing during their most ambitious spell. Was there a worse idea in the entire world than challenging an evil mage in his stronghold? The door to Ena's quarters silently opened beneath his hand.

"Well hello, Ezra," crooned a voice. "I've been hoping you'd be the first to arrive."

* * *

><p>Vin leaned over the half wall to get a better look at the area around the stairs. "He ain't down there."<p>

"Across the Plaza," directed Buck. "He just ducked into a tunnel: Looks like he's turned rabbit." The words were spoken with sadness but little rancor. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a soldier flee when faced with overwhelming odds.

"He's not running out on us!" defended JD. "He wouldn't do that."

Vin eyed the tunnel where Ezra had disappeared even as he fired another arrow. Turning away, Vin's gaze met Chris's and both men realized where Ezra had gone. "The Wand!" they spoke simultaneously.

"You think he's gone after the wand?" asked Buck. At Chris's nod he shook his head. "I take back what I said earlier. He's not a coward, though it's a tossup as to whether he's suicidal or just plain stupid."

"Probably both," muttered Nathan before chanting a spell to recall his first two daggers even as he threw a third.

Buck continued, "There's no way he can fight a mage as powerful as Marquay on his own."

"I'll go after him," insisted Josiah. "I should be the one to face Marquay anyway."

"Not an option," countered Chris. "As long as that rift in the Ward Wall exists we need you here." Several Churchers had decided the stairs where too dangerous an approach and tried to climb a ladder to reach the besieged Riders. Chris thrust his sword through the first person to reach the top and then shoved the ladder and its other attackers to the ground. "See if you can eliminate the lesser mages. Then find a way to seal the rift, with or without the wand. Because if you can't, not only are we as good as dead, so is the rest of the Empire." Chris ducked a small volley of arrows while continuing his dance of parry, block and thrust with those who charged the stairs. "Vin and I will go after Ezra."

As if expecting that decision, Vin set a handful of arrows down next to JD's quiver. "Extra ammo," he told the young Constable.

"Buck, it will be up to you to hold the stairs," instructed Chris. Buck nodded and moved up beside him.

"We're going to need an opening to get past this crowd," observed Vin.

Without further prompting JD, Nathan and Josiah launched a combined volley of arrows, blades and fireballs into the mix of demons and people below. The crowd responded by ducking and diving for cover just as they'd hoped.

"Good luck, War Dog," rallied Buck. He planted himself menacingly at the top of the stairs and watched Chris and Vin dart lethally through the cowering creatures below.

* * *

><p>Ezra stepped into Ena's room. Its mistress lay still upon the only bed; her skin stretched taut in pain and fear, the only sign to argue her corpse like appearance. Marquay stood to the right of her bed, the prized ruby wand still glowing in his hand. Ezra knew he couldn't beat Marquay's magic, strained though it currently was; he had to outsmart him. He hadn't worked out the details of how to do that yet but surely he could come up with something. He hoped. "I'm surprised that Ena is willing to go so far; sacrifice her own life, to ensure the invasion," Ezra's words were as much a question as a statement.<p>

"Actually," explained Marquay, "she wanted to run. She would have had us abandon our cause while on the cusp of victory. You know, I believe I'd rather face a dozen Imperial Grand Mages on my own than stand against them while allied with a mage who lacked the courage of her convictions." Marquay's assessment of Ena's faults dripped with disdain.

"So you decided to kill her slowly. Drain her very life to power your spell,' accused Ezra.

"There's a slim chance she might live, if Chaos favors her. Besides I gave her ample opportunity to provide as alternate plan. Alas, she was not up to the challenge." Marquay's mocking pity was made worse by the way he gently caressed Ena's pale, tear stained cheek.

"And if she does die," demanded Ezra, "what will fuel your spell then?"

"Well, there's always Garvey, Neal and Quillon." Marquay suggested his three other subordinate mages. "But I'm sure Ena will hold out long enough to provide entrance for most of the invasion force. Then it will be time for me to plan the next phase of the war," said Marquay conversationally.

"Next phase?" Ezra walked further into the room, stopping at the foot of Ena's bed when Marquay lifted his wand warningly.

"The invasion has begun, but grand as Tsvala's army is it won't be enough to crush the combined Imperial forces. We're looking at months if not years of bloody warfare before the Ward Wall is brought down." Marquay smiled charismatically. "We still have a lot of work to do, Ezra."

"We?" asked Ezra. "Did you forget that I'm an Imperial spy? It's my job to hinder, not help you."

"A job you only took out of some misguided attempt to find a pittance of justice for your father's undeserved death." Marquay saw the tiny new flecks of Chaos fire flare in Ezra's eyes. He smiled, certain that the bait he was about to reveal would be too much for Ezra to resist. "I can offer you more than the Lord of Shadows can. Unlike the Empire, I actually know who murdered your father. It's been a good number of years and many have passed on from one cause or another. But I know for certain two of his executioners still live. You could reap true justice for your father, not this shallow imitation you currently pursue. Would you like me to tell you their names?"

Ezra had to swallow past his suddenly dry throat before he could speak, "And what blood price will you demand of me for this information?"

Marquay's smile grew larger, "I ask nothing of you Ezra." One eyebrow lifted. "Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I ask you to do nothing. It's too late to stop the invasion. Soon half of Tsvala's army will be through the breech. If you try to attack me directly my magic will end you before you get more than a few feet. Don't needlessly throw your life away for an Empire that sees you as little more than a pawn in its bid for domination. Just wait quietly while I finish my spell and I'll give you the identities of your father's murderers. Then we can go our separate ways, neither of us worse off than now." Marquay reveled in the silence that followed. He watched a dozen emotions struggle for control of Ezra. And as each second passed without sarcastic repartee, Marquay became more certain he'd managed to plant a seed of Chaos within Ezra's soul. Ezra turned away, his whole body tensing with its internal struggle. Then stillness overtook him and when he turned back to Marquay, the look on Ezra's face could only be described as calm defeat. Marquay did not even bother to hold back his chuckle of victory.

* * *

><p>Locke struggled to gain his footing after being knocked from Emerald Stallion's back. The green horse was already twenty feet away doing its best to stomp the two Hobs that had shown the unusual courage to charge them with spears. Locke didn't bother to call the stallion back. Three Storm demons had already surrounded him, and the song of clashing steel played in earnest. A well-placed volley of arrows killed one of his opponents and gave Locke a bit of breathing room. Locke made a quick mental note to thank his cousin Kit for the assist later. He severed the artery of his second assailant just in time to watch the third fall beneath Tyrchon's mythic blade.<p>

Chancing a quick assessing glance across the battlefield Locke saw several contingents of Storm demons and another half dozen Flame demons enter the rift in the Ward Wall. "We need to reseal that rift. What is the best way to disrupt their spell?" It was times like this that Locke really wished he understood magic better.

"Killing the mages won't be enough. They've already formed and cast the rending spell. The most effective way to slam the portal shut would be to eliminate the blood sacrifice." The Sunbird mage, Keith, motioned to the right where snug against the glass cliff laid a bound and bleeding assortment of creatures that made up the demons' share of the blood sacrifice.

Locke suppressed the revulsion that came with seeing so many majestic beasts struggle against a slow draining death. Though he bore no love for Chaos there were some agonies he'd wish on no enemy. Many had already gone hopelessly still but a few continued to battle with fate. Like the chained Shadow demon that, upon seeing the Lancers, let loose a defiant lion's roar.

"We have a lot of ground to cover before we can do any damage to the mages or their sacrifice," Tyrchon pointed out. "And this cliff ledge is about to get a lot more crowded."

It was then Locke noticed the group of Storms herding several dozen Hobs towards the embattled Lancers, the same Hobs that had fled from his advance just moments before. The few Hobs that tried lagging to the rear or avoiding the Imperials were efficiently beat and stabbed by their Storm minders. The poor mongrels where being forced to fight or die, and Locke was all too aware that few things were more dangerous than a trapped animal. Then again the same could be said for Locke's warriors. "Stand ready for the charge!" ordered Locke. "Remember, we fight today not for the glory of the Empire, but for the lives of our families, our children." The image of Locke's fiancée, Marija, hovered in his mind. "That's why we will **not** fail!"

The Lancers responded with a deafening battle cry. Tyrchon stepped to the front of the line, swinging his blade with easy skill, chuckling as the Hobs before him paled and began to gibber in fear. Locke recognized that by stepping to the fore of the battle, Tyrchon was committing not only his weapon but also its blessed curse. Seeing Locke's worried look, Tyrchon gave a snarling grin. "You said yourself, 'we will **not** fail!' My sword, Restraint, would not dare contradict Lachlan, of the Lancers." Locke could give no response because it was then that the wave of stinking, shrieking Hob flesh attacked.

* * *

><p>Buck watched Chris and Vin until they traveled beyond sight, ducking down the same passage as Ezra. The relief he felt seeing them cross the enemy Plaza unharmed was overshadowed be the possibility he might never see them alive again. His stand at the top of the stairs gave him a great view of the now continuous march of Hob and Storm demons. The parade of Chaos spawn flowed to the south end of the Plaza where they broke into smaller groups and followed their Black Church guides down various tunnels. Buck had long since lost count of how many hundreds of demons had passed through the cavern. Even the Storm demon War Queen had abandoned the Plaza to wreak havoc elsewhere within the unsuspecting Empire, though she'd be at least somewhat hampered by the nasty wound to her right breast, delivered there just moments before by Buck's arrow.<p>

Buck had been forced to exchange his bow for his sword immediately after, as a good number of Churchers tried to charge the narrow stairs and overtake their position on the ledge. Buck controlled the high ground and he used that advantage to ruthlessly eviscerate anyone that challenged the reach of his blade. But Buck was very aware that it was only a matter of time before his sword strokes lost their strength. JD would run out of arrows and Nathan and Josiah's spells would eventually drain all of their energies. They'd chosen a fight from which there would be neither retreat nor surrender. While Buck continued to slash through opponents with bleak determination, the relentless flow of demons eroded the small hope that they could still save the Empire from the horrors of Chaos.

JD launched a steady barrage of arrows. His quick movements nourished by the surge of adrenalin pulsing through his veins.

Nathan, by contrast, was almost calm as he alternated between throwing his daggers and lending energy to Josiah. It was a dangerous gambit, sacrificing his own magical resources to bolster Josiah's.

That Josiah didn't protest Nathan's actions was an ominous indication of just how precarious their situation had become. Josiah continued to attack sparingly, firing blasts at the mages while a small corner of his mind tracked the Ruby wand. He knew it was still close by. Ever since he'd first touched it with his magic, trying to pull it from Marquay's grasp, Josiah continued to hold a tenuous link to the wand. It was a strange mix of unknown and familiar which floated at the edge of his consciousness like a not quite recognized memory. Josiah could even feel the spells that Marquay was casting though the wand. Which would be a great advantage if the wand could be retaken. Then Josiah felt something too familiar – too familiar and too precious: Ezra. Marquay was using the wand to weave an unobtrusive blend of concealment and communication magic to cloud Ezra's judgment. "No!" Josiah overwhelmed his fragile link to the wand with a razor sharp focus aimed right at Ezra. Even as he prayed his young friend was not already lost.

* * *

><p>The first thing to grab Chris's attention was how quiet it was in the mage tunnel. A melee involving hundreds continued just a yard away, yet barely a whisper of its clatter entered the passage.<p>

Next to him, Vin motioned to the second door down the hall. It hung half-open, revealing a bit of warm candlelight. Vin moved first, edging along the wall, taking great care to make a silent approach. Chris did his best to follow suit. When Vin halted beside the doorframe, Chris considered that perhaps some of Vin's stealthy skills were rubbing off on him. But no, it was more likely there was some enchantment that kept the corridor nearly silent. Vin tapped his ear and then jerked his head once towards the glow of the inner room.

Listening Chris quickly identified Ezra's voice. Which was good; it meant Ezra might actually be around long enough to have some sense beaten into him by Chris with likely assists from Buck, Vin and possibly Josiah. JD probably wouldn't join in, while Nathan would wait for the cleanup. He had a habit of making his healing spells downright painful when someone had 'vexed' him. He claimed others were less likely to take foolish chances if they remembered the hurts that went with them.

Chris was willing to assume the other male voice was Marquay's. There was something so arrogant and grandiose about his tone that it immediately set Chris's jaw to clinch. Identifying what the two voices were saying seemed a much more challenging task. It appeared that whatever magic had aided their quiet approach also hindered their erstwhile eavesdropping. Should have known the noiseless approach wasn't his doing. Chris couldn't see much past Vin, just the foot of a bed and about half of Ezra's back. He strained again to decipher what was being said.

"Unlike the Empire, I actually know who murdered your father," appealed the voice.

_Well shit_, thought Chris, _Marquay sure knew how to tempt a person._ Chris didn't know much about Ezra's past. But it wasn't hard to image how many laws Chris would break, values he would sacrifice to have Sarah and Adam's killers in his grasp. To look the cowards in the eye as he dispensed justice or vengeance at his whim. The genius of Marquay's offer was that he wasn't even asking Ezra to break any laws. At worst his lack of action would be viewed as a dereliction of duty. It might cost him his job but little else. Such a small compromise to see ones family avenged. The silence following Marquay's overture grew oppressive. Chris wished he could see Ezra's face because his whole body seemed to sway with indecision.

Then Ezra turned as if in answer to Chris's thoughts. His face was a painful jumble of conflicting emotions. And his cloudy eyes . . . Son of a bitch! His cloudy eyes gave clear indication that Marquay was working a spell on Ezra. Probably something really subtle, just enough to make a bad choice seem like a good one. Ezra squeezed his eyes shut for a second as though trying to blink away his disorientation. Chris couldn't claim to know much about such spells. But as he understood it this type of magic corrupted one's mind, and even when overcome, they left behind a taint that could be later exploited. Chris settled a hand on Vin's shoulder. Their eyes met and an understanding was reached. They weren't going to let what was happening to Ezra continue.

Ezra's body stiffened and the clouds in his eyes were replaced with sudden clarity. For three slow breaths Ezra stared at his companions in the hall. His eyes slowly slid to the bed and then back to Chris. Okay, Ezra had a plan. He didn't know what it was but Chris nodded his willingness to back Ezra's play. Then Ezra's hands signaled:

Seven.

Chris hoped Ezra wasn't expecting the rest of the Seven to show up because if so they were in a load of trouble.

Six.

No. That was definitely a countdown. Ezra was letting them know when he was going to make his move.

Five.

Ezra remade his face into a mask of desolation, and then turned back to the sorcerer.

Four.

Vin lifted his bow and arrow, ready to fire in an instant.

Three.

Chris hefted his sword and shifted his weight, ready to do his own impression of 'the last charge of the Valiant Lancers'.

Two.

The softest hint of Marquay's triumphant chuckle murmured to the corridor.

One.

* * *

><p>Marquay had stopped speaking but Ezra was still hearing his words. "I actually know who murdered your father . . . reap true justice . . . I ask nothing of you . . . do nothing." The words were like a song in his head that refused to be forgotten. Marquay's eyes bore into Ezra's, as if to convince Ezra with his will alone.<p>

Ezra wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't refused Marquay's offer outright. He couldn't seriously be thinking of going along with Marquay's plan. Could he? Then again what was the alternative: to die uselessly for a doomed Empire? Wait a moment, why was he thinking the Empire was doomed? This battle was far from decided. Marquay's continued stare seemed to surround Ezra like an oppressive haze. Why couldn't he think straight? He'd been so sure earlier that he'd be able to concoct a plan on the spur of the moment. A way to defeat Marquay, reclaim Josiah's wand and somehow not get hurt in the process. Where was his vaunted quick thinking now?

Ezra turned away from Marquay unable to bear the weight of his gaze any longer. It didn't help. He could feel those eyes on his back, raising the hairs on his neck. Trusting Marquay wasn't an option. Look what had happened to Ena, even now her body was trembling in agony. Marquay might be lying; there was no way to guarantee Ezra would be able to avenge his father. Ezra squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force his thoughts into order. _Think Ezra, before your inactions start costing lives, including your own._

_No!_ The thought entered Ezra's mind carried by the familiar voice he had trusted as a child. _Ignore Marquay's words. Your will is stronger than his. You can defeat him._ Josiah's voice lifted the dark cloud that had encumbered his thoughts. Ezra found himself looking into the eyes of Chris and Vin, standing tense in the hallway just beyond Marquay's sight. And from the obvious worry on their faces, they'd been there more than a second or too.

In fact the two looked ready to charge into the room and attack Marquay, his magic be damned. There had to be something Ezra could do. Some way he could distract Marquay so his guard would be down. Of course! Ena!

Ezra signaled with his eyes. Chris's responding nod indicated that he was willing to follow Ezra's lead. Ezra started a silent countdown and forced his face into an image of surrender. The thought that he was likely sacrificing his last chance at giving justice to his father's memory brought an easy slump to his shoulders. He moved up the bed on the opposite side from Marquay, and Marquay didn't warn him back this time.

Ezra caressed Ena's cheek in an imitation of Marquay's earlier actions. Ena's eyes sought his pleadingly, though he honestly couldn't tell if she sought rescue or release. In the end it didn't matter what Ena wanted. Ezra knew what he needed to do. "Please, Marquay." Ezra was surprised by how weak and broken his voice sounded. He didn't bother to suppress the shudder that came with Marquay's careless laughter. Instead he let his fingers trail gently down the prone woman's slender neck.

"Please what?" insisted Marquay. The need to hear Ezra beg for his favors overwhelmed the sorcerer.

Ezra looked up; meeting Marquay's eyes for the first time since he'd regained his mental faculties. But he didn't respond to Marquay's demand. Instead he flicked his wrist and triggered the arm rig that launched a small dagger into his hand. With a quick jerking thrust he severed the flow of blood to Ena's brain. The odd mixture of anger and fear on Marquay's face might have been amusing if Ezra hadn't known what would follow.

"Betrayer!" Marquay bellowed. The glowing wand swung in his direction.

Ezra didn't know what spell he was hit with. He just knew that he was across the room in a crumpled heap, kept upright only by the wall. Every tissue in his body screamed in agony and it seemed that his lungs no longer worked. But his eyes did. And with them he saw Chris's bloody blade slice through the flank of a shocked Marquay. A smile flitted across Ezra's lips. Perhaps his death wouldn't be meaningless after all.

* * *

><p>JD had long since lost track of how many arrows he'd fired, how many monsters he'd killed. Because that's what they were: monsters. It didn't matter if they were Storm demons, Humans, Hobs, Elves, or Dwarves. They all wanted to destroy his home, his way of life and that made them monsters. JD watched his arrow catch in the throat of a Storm before reaching back for another. It took him several seconds of fruitless grasping before he realized his quiver was empty. JD shook his head in disgust knowing he should have been keeping a running count of his arrows. At least he still had the arrows Vin had left. But he couldn't help but wonder if they'd be enough. Despite all of the killing that had already occurred the enemies' numbers just kept growing. Josiah's attempts to seal the rift had produced nothing more than a bit of flashing light. The enemy mages had stayed well under cover since their first attack.<p>

A sudden flash of red near the cauldron pulled JD's gaze. A split second later howls of pain filled the chamber. JD located the source to be several Hobs writhing on the ground with various limbs missing. It took JD a moment to realize that it was the Ward Wall that had produced their injuries. The rift still existed, but where it had opened over three large tunnels, now only one still granted access. And it fluctuated first shrinking and then dilating like a pupil in changing light. JD looked to Josiah for an explanation.

Josiah met JD's mystified look with a sparkling grin. "It looks like our boys have destroyed Marquay's major power source for the spell."

"Any chance they destroyed Marquay along with it?" asked Nathan hopefully.

Before Josiah could answer three serpent-like strands of red light shot out of the cauldron, attaching themselves to the now panicking Black Church mages. "I doubt Marquay is dead yet. And even if he is, it's clear he had a backup plan if his spells primary source was interrupted. On the up side those Black Churchers are no longer in a position to avoid our attacks." Josiah couldn't be more right. The dark mages were prisoners to the strands, looking just like puppets held aloft by their strings.

"What if we kill the mages and the strands just find another source of power, like you or me?" Nathan was afraid that the wrong course of action now would only make matters worse.

"We don't have a choice," Josiah insisted. "The spell is already using their energies to again widen the rift." The second tunnel on the left was already open, allowing the influx of demons to start again. The third tunnel on the right was also starting to open. Looking at JD Josiah ordered, "Take aim, Son. If ever there was a time to shoot straight and true, this is it."

* * *

><p>Watching Ezra fly across the room and slam roughly into the wall made a single thought crystallize in Vin's mind: <em>That <em>_**had**__ to hurt._ He hoped Ezra's actions were worth the price he was paying.

Chris was already on top of Marquay, slamming him hard into the small stand next to the bed. With Marquay so off balance it was easy for Chris to score a hit in the side. But Marquay recovered quickly, spelling a bright blue magic shield about two feet across to block Chris's second blow. Vin hoped the small shield meant Marquay was too weak and wounded to form the full body shield he'd employed earlier. Either way, Vin was going to hold back until he could take a clear shot; minimizing the risk of hitting Chris.

A twitch from the woman dying on the bed caught Vin's eye. He recognized her as the attractive Black Church mage that had been teaching Imperial magic to the two Storm demons and their Flame demon ally. It looked like her loyalties had turned on her. It was kind of pitiful the way she'd dedicated her life to a cause that saw her as nothing more than a power source, and a disposable one at that. Stepping closer Vin noted the gruesome yet effective cut to her neck, which fed a spreading stain of red on the blankets and mattress. He even saw the last flicker of life leave her milky Chaos eyes. Vin's lips sealed in a grim line. He'd say not a word for this woman's passing. Her life's goal had been nothing less than to bring misery on others. Hopefully her death would help end the evil she'd wrought.

A quick glance at Ezra showed the spy still unconscious. A few feet away Marquay was clearly on the defensive. Blood was soaking the side of his cloak. And Chris was so persistently raining blows upon his shield that the mage had no time to focus an offensive spell. Chris shifted right as he looked for an opening in Marquay's defense. When Marquay moved to match him, Vin finally got the clear shot he'd been waiting for. But just as Vin released the string of his bow Marquay stepped back, letting the arrow sail inches from his nose. Marquay hurriedly tried to adjust his stance to accommodate two opponents.

"Was wondering when you planned to join the fight," commented Chris.

"Had to make sure the Churcher witch was dead first," explained Vin.

"Sounds like your big rending spell just lost its main source of juice," Chris taunted. Chris acknowledged that Marquay was physically fit for one of his age, and he obviously knew a lot about defensive fighting. But, he lacked the endurance of a trained warrior. Each move Marquay made was a little slower than the last. In a few more sword strokes Marquay's ability to block would fail.

"I've planned for every contingency," bragged Marquay. "By now my spell has already found others to draw its energy from." Marquay's boasts couldn't hide the way he was gasping for air.

"Not a problem," countered Chris, "we'll just kill them too." Chris grinned slyly as he stabbed his sword just beneath Marquay's shield to cut deep into his leg.

Marquay couldn't hold in his cry but he did manage to launch a blast spell. Unfortunately, the same spell that had earlier knocked Ezra across the room only made Chris and Vin stumble back a few feet. Marquay's personal energy reserves were almost depleted. Vin steadied himself and fired another arrow; this one was deflected enough by Marquay's cloak to only score a bit of flesh. As Vin reloaded his bow, Chris dove forward to continue their attack. Marquay knocked over the bed stand, forcing Chris to jump back to avoid having his legs knocked out from under him. Realizing he could no longer sustain the combat Marquay seized his last second of reprieve to aim the wand at Chris.

Vin fired his arrow and another scream was heard. Seconds later it was followed by the clatter of the ruby wand falling to the floor. Chris scrambled for the wand pulling it beyond the sorcerer's reach.

Marquay stood clutching his right wrist, staring in shock at the arrow protruding from his palm. Looking over at Vin with hatred in his eyes he muttered, "Doras ealaithe."

Cursing himself for relenting his attack for even a second, Vin grasped for another arrow. A long oval portal appeared beside Marquay. Throwing a grim smile to the Chaos Riders before him, Marquay sidestepped into the portal. Vin's arrow chased the sorcerer through the magical gateway as it closed, but Vin doubted he'd done much damage.

"At least we got the wand before he vanished," said Chris, awkwardly holding the magic device.

A groan from the far wall reminded Chris and Vin there was still a third person in the room.

"Sounds like you're still alive, after all," noted Vin as he offered the spy a hand up.

"Alive?" wheezed Ezra. "I would bet emeralds I was on the fourth tier of the underworld." He wobbled on his feet before steadying himself.

"Let's get moving," marshaled Chris. "We can rest when our mission is done." With that he headed out the door, leaving the other two men to follow.

* * *

><p>Locke struggled to contain his frustration at their lack of forward progress. His Lancers had lived up to their name, valiantly standing against the charging Hob swarm. It had cost them nearly a fifth of their number, but they'd held their ground. Unfortunately, the Storm warriors that had replaced the slaughtered Hobs, surrendered only a dozen feet to the Lancers advance. The targeted mages and sacrifice were closer than before but still not close enough. And Kit had just passed word that a mass of demons was moving up from behind which would leave his Lancers flanked and without an escape route. The only small success he could claim was that they'd managed to limit the number of invading demons to about a thousand.<p>

"We need to find a way to break this stalemate," Tyrchon gave voice to Locke's own thoughts.

"I'm open to suggestions." Every idea that Locke considered was eliminated by either a lack of warriors or a lack of supplies.

Tyrchon looked ready to speak, but then turned his head toward the tunnels to Empire where half a dozen demons were writhing in pain. It took several seconds to realize the Ward Wall had injured them. The rift that had encompassed three large passages had shrunk until only one was still navigable by the demons.

"The rift is sealing," shouted Kayla to Locke's left. And cheers went up throughout the Lancers. Buoyed by the news, the Lancers began to beat back the shocked demons; stealing foot after foot in a steady march forward.

Then just as suddenly the shrunken rift began to grow again. "It's found another power source," declared Keith, his voice a mixture of anger and defeat.

"What?" demanded Tyrchon.

"I felt the force powering the rift spell get suddenly cut off, probably by the Seven. When it began to grow again its . . . flavor had changed indicating . . ."

"A new force was powering the spell," finished Nagrendra, lashing a nearby demon with his reptilian tail. "We know the blood sacrifice," he pointed to the chained creatures, "is fueling this part of the rift spell. But destroying it will likely only shrink the rift by one-third. The power sources on both sides of the Ward Wall will have to be destroyed before the rift will seal."

"Shrinking it by one-third is better than nothing," decided Locke. "Are we close enough for you to start attacking with your magic?" Locke flinched beneath the pelting of marble sized hail from the Storm mages.

Nagrendra studied the battlefield critically. "With the help of my staff I can." He raised the diamond-capped instrument. "But the Storm mages will quickly move to block me."

"We'll keep the mages busy," assured Kit. The other archers took their cue from Kit and aimed at the magic wielding demons.

Nagrendra began to chant, his staff glowing with power. Next to him, Keith spelled a barrier that would hopefully protect Nagrendra from most attacks. It was an unintentional reminder to Nagrendra that Keith, as a third level mage, outranked him. Yet it wasn't just Nagrendra's powerful staff that caused Keith to defer to him. He had much more experience in Chaos than the young Sun Bird priest. In truth he knew he had grown beyond his rank two standing some time ago. He just hadn't taken the time to return to the City of Sorcerers and issue the challenge that would earn him a higher rank.

"Fire!" shouted Kit and a volley of arrows sailed high through the sky. The perfectly aimed missiles were blown awry just shy of their targets by a fierce cyclone. The still deadly weapons struck several nearby demons but left the mages untouched. Disappointed but not surprised by his results, Kit continued his commands. "Second ranks, fire! First ranks, fire when ready." Kit knew there was a limit to how long a mage could maintain a defensive spell. He just had to hope that they ran out of spells before he ran out of arrows.

Nagrendra released a deeply held breath and launched a giant fireball at the tortured creatures that made up the blood sacrifice. Not unlike Kit's attack, this one was unsuccessful. The fireball was absorbed by a shield that flickered for a few seconds beneath its attack. A quick calculation determined that Nagrendra would need to deliver four more direct hits before he could expect to get past the shield. Drawing another cleansing breath he focused his magic again; as the battle raged around him.


	7. Bonds of Blood and Soul

Marquay stepped out of the portal to Chaos chased by the cursed archer's arrow. But it seemed Chaos was with him as it soared harmlessly over his shoulder to land in the dirt some distance away.

The mage stood on an empty plateau several miles from the Glass Cliffs. He could hear a fair bit of noise from the battle since sound bounced easily off the glass valley. But a thick, hazy mix of dust and wind blocked his view, letting him see only the occasional flash of lightening or flame near the area of the Ward Wall rift.

The throbbing aches in his hand, leg and side drew his attention to more immediate concerns. A slow, limping shuffle moved him to a low shallow. He pulled a rock from his cloak with his uninjured hand and then awkwardly bent to fit the stone into a groove in the earth at his feet. After a moment a low rumble was heard and then the ground reshaped to form a stairwell leading down into the mesa.

Once Marquay was in his safe haven the entrance resealed to hide its existence. The large chamber held only a few basic furnishings. The main differences between this place and his room in the Black Church caverns were the cabinets containing food stores and the enormous bookcase holding books, potions and arcane artifacts.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Marquay leaned back against the wall and steeled his resolve. Then he grabbed the feathered end of the arrow sticking out his hand and painfully snapped it off. A quick jerk removed the short end of the arrow from his palm. A rush of blood accompanied the intense burning sensation. Marquay used his cloak to try and stem the flow of blood as he stumbled over to the bookcase that dominated the room.

Taking a blue potion from one of the shelves he uncorked it and then downed the liquid in one swallow. The already painful wounds became a source of agony as Marquay's muscles and flesh knitting back together. Within seconds the bleeding in his hand, side and leg had stopped.

Marquay let himself fall tiredly back upon his bed. Closing his eyes under the weight of his exhaustion, he took a moment to consider gains and losses of the last few hours. Overall, the discovery of the Black Church coven in the caverns was irrelevant. He'd drawn them together to prepare the way for the invasion. Now that the invasion had occurred they were superfluous. The wand on the other hand was a damaging loss. He seriously doubted another such powerful and versatile device existed in Chaos or the Empire. Then there was Ezra, son of Standish. Marquay had been so sure that his spell had been working, absolutely certain that he held the key to bending the young spy's mind. He didn't know what had caused the spell to fail, but Ezra remained a challenge he could not leave unanswered. He believed that he could yet see Ezra's will shatter beneath his own, just as reality had shattered beneath Chaos so many hundreds of years ago.

As for the invasion, Marquay was fairly certain that at least half of the Tsvala's army had made it through the rift. That meant about 1500 demons running free within the Empire. Even assuming half were killed by the various Chaos Riders and Imperial forces alerted to their presence; that still left a guerrilla army of hundreds. The Hobs were destructive but stupid and most likely would be easily hunted down. The Flame demons were so destructively high-profile that they were destined to become a prime target for local law looking to appease the populace. It would fall upon the Storm demons to sow the unrest Marquay so desired. It was why he'd arranged to have all the best guides lead the Storm groups. They would fight with intelligence, choosing the most vulnerable targets, slaying the unfit without mercy and then retreating into darkness to wait for their next kill. The Empire would not be easily rid of them.

There were still plans to organize, ways he could aid his fugitive allies as they made war with his enemy. But as lethargy grew within him, he decided to wait until tomorrow to devise such schemes. After such a satisfying day's work, he was ready for a well-deserved rest.

* * *

><p>JD took several seconds to be sure of his aim before releasing the string. The arrow aimed for the vulnerable lead mage instead struck a demon that ran before it. JD reached down to load another shot. There were six arrows left and he was determined to make each one count. JD silently aimed again and then fired Vin's arrow. Just the hint of a satisfied smile appeared when the arrow struck and killed his target.<p>

The magical string of energy that had bound the mage, leaving him so vulnerable, was now disconnected and flailing about like an injured snake. Then the string wrapped around a Flame demon just as it ran through the rift. The rift fluctuated, a bit like before, but quickly stabilized.

"Josiah," called JD uncertain what to do next.

"I saw. It looks like you guessed right, Nathan. Marquay designed the spell to seek out its own power supply." Josiah contemplated a moment. "But perhaps I can misdirect the strands; weaken the spell by limiting its energy sources. JD, aim for the Flame demon."

JD did as he was told, glad that someone seemed to understand how this magic stuff worked. Another of Vin's arrows sailed across the cavern, burying itself deep in the chest of the demonic inferno.

When the strand uncoiled seeking more energy, Josiah cast his spell guiding it to a small four-armed Hob. This time when the rift stabilized it had shrunk a bit, cutting off half of one of the three tunnels. Josiah let out a small sigh of relief. Perhaps his earlier spells to seal the rift had failed but at least now he had a way to make it smaller. "JD let's take out that green shirted mage on the left next." Josiah instructed.

* * *

><p>Nagrendra's nose was twitching from the stink of ozone, dirt and burned flesh. The shield guarding the demon's blood sacrifice was destroyed, as were many of the creatures bound within it.<p>

The demon mages weren't faring much better. One of the Storm demons lay dead from Kit's continuous air attacks. The Flame mage had fled through the rift. This left the sole Storm demon mage fighting a losing battle against Sorcha and the half dozen Chaos Riders she had surrounding him.

"Kit," shouted Locke, "have your archers move to cover our rear. We'll deal with the rest of the demons here and secure the tunnel entrances." What had been hundreds of demons a few minutes ago were now less than fifty. But any pleasure Locke took from their successful advance was erased by the sight of countless demons running through the rift at top speed. Though he continued the press the fight forward, a small corner of his soul was praying to all things holy that the Chaos Riders left behind in Corners would be enough to protect at least some of the many innocents who unknowingly slept in Chaos's path.

A glimpse of white hair drew Locke's eyes to Tyrchon. The scout was raising his sword to deliver a mighty blow. The thunderous clang that followed dwarfed much of the battle noise. Locke sucked in a shocked breath when the Shadow demon at Tyrchon's feet, part of the captured blood sacrifice, raised to its clawed paws, free of chains. Tyrchon stepped back and seemed to be speaking to the Chademon. Locke couldn't hear him but he could see Tyrchon gesture to the Storm mage. The Shadow roared and launched itself at Sorcha's group.

"Sorcha, drop!" warned Tyrchon. Sorcha did so without hesitation, long used to heeding the warnings of her fellow warriors. The lion-like Shadow sailed over the Chaos Rider in a single leap, landing easily on the Storm mage to rip out his throat. "Get back, the rest of you!" The other Riders that had helped Sorcha corner the mage all backed off, letting the Shadow viciously gut the Storm. Finished with its kill the Shadow looked back at Tyrchon, snarled once and dipped its feline head in what Locke wanted to insist couldn't possibly be a bow. Then the Shadow turned and leapt straight up the cliff. It steadily clawed its way up, as though a cat climbing a glass wall was something that happened every day. And perhaps, in Chaos, it did.

With the Chaos mages dead and the blood sacrifice destroyed or freed, the rift had shrunk again. It constricted first down to two tunnels and then after a few more seconds to only one, telling Locke that the Seven were pounding away at the problem from their side. He moved forward to help his comrades slay the last dozen demons that had failed to escape through the rift.

The precipice was theirs but Locke was sickened to realize the battle had dwindled his warriors numbers to a mere twenty-five or so fighters. He struggled against the impulse to put names to the dead and dying. Instead he began to shout orders that would ensure the Lancers held the precipice as long as it took to seal the rift.

* * *

><p>Under different circumstances, the incongruity of walking down a near silent hallway while viewing a tidal wave of Chaos in the cavern ahead might have intrigued Chris. However, his current circumstances dictated that he find a way to cross said cavern, a cavern hosting a legion of charging Storm, Hob and even Flame demons. His and Vin's earlier passage was a relaxing Sunday stroll compared to what they'd have to get through now.<p>

"I suppose it was too much to assume that our fortunes were improving," Ezra commented dryly.

"Do you figure those stringy things are what Marquay meant about his spell finding new power?" asked Vin.

"Could be," replied Chris.

An arrow flew into view killing a Black Church mage bound to one of the magical strings. The string twisted about for several seconds before latching onto a Hob that began to squeal and squirm in distress.

"Good shot, JD," Vin murmured mostly to himself. Then he started grinning. "Give me that wand Chris, I've got an idea."

Having yet to devise a plan of his own, Chris turned the wand over easily. But the doubts built quickly when he saw Vin try to line up the wand like an arrow on his bow.

"You can't seriously want to shoot the wand to Josiah," Ezra sputtered. "It's too heavy to cross even half that distance and not the least bit aerodynamic."

"Don't need it to go that far," Vin explained as he tested the wand's weight and tried to decide the best angle to fire it at. "Once it's in the air, Josiah can do that floaty thing that he tried earlier, and with no other mages to interfere he'll have it easy."

"That will only work if Josiah sees it coming," concluded Chris. "We need to get his attention first."

"Allow me," insisted Ezra. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's drawing attention. If you would be so kind as to cover me?" The last he directed at Chris since Vin would be occupied trying to launch his unlikely missile. Ezra readied his sword and stepped out of the quieted hallway. The immediate assault to Ezra's senses was not easily adjusted to. The noise was overwhelming; magnified by the shape and make-up of the cave. The smells were nauseating. And even the hairs on Ezra's skin stood on end from the remnant magical charge lingering in the air. He was wielding his sword as much from instinct as thought. But he was hampered by the absence of a second weapon. The main gauche that usually armed his right hand was still in its small scabbard. He knew he'd need one hand free to get Josiah's attention. Looking to his allies on the opposing wall, Ezra missed the Storm demon coming at him with her saber raised high. Chris stepped forward to intercept the demon as well as the two clan-sisters that followed her. Ezra thanked the Mistress of Luck, slipped two fingers between his lips, took a deep breath and blew a piercing whistle just as he'd learned as a child. Josiah's eyes instantly swung in their direction, as he'd hoped they would. Vin fired the awkward projectile up towards the center of the Plaza ceiling. It only just started to descend when Josiah grasped it with his conveyance magic.

"Pull back!" ordered Chris, enforcing his command by pushing Ezra back into the hall entrance. Ezra found himself somehow behind Chris and Vin as they held the entrance against the demons that ventured too close. Looking past them he noticed for the first time that only one of the three tunnels was still accessible through the rift. The other two were once again safely curtained by the Ward Wall. The flood of demons slowed to a trickle and then stopped altogether leaving the Plaza empty except for the Seven and the bodies of the dead and dying.

Vin cautiously edged towards the still open rift at the center tunnel. He looked through and then turned back to the others. "The Lancers have the precipice. We're safe for the moment."

* * *

><p>The instant the wand touched Josiah's hand his mind dove at it with intense focus. He found the weave component seeking new power sources and began to unravel it. The magical threads, currently draining the life of several squirming Hobs, shifted their color from red to blue. They shrank until they were no thicker than a thread of silk and then snapped. They were sucked back into the caldron, causing it to rock a bit but no more strands of light reached out.<p>

With one job finished, Josiah gathered his clairvoyant magic while trying to push aside his fatigue so that he could uncover Marquay's methods and reverse his spells without permanently damaging the Ward Wall in the process.

Once the spell was cast Josiah held the ruby wand with a mixture of relief, concern and irritation. His clairvoyant magic had shown him how Marquay had used the wand to rend the Ward Wall, just as it had provided a vision that would heal the wound. Unfortunately, to do so meant breaking not only one of the Empire's highest laws but also the oath he'd made when he became a Sunbird priest. In Josiah's mind, there was no question; he would do whatever was necessary to seal the Ward Wall again. He just wasn't looking forward to the fallout his actions would likely bring.

On the other side of the Plaza, Chris and Ezra cautiously picked their way across the floor of bodies. Vin was standing in the opening of what remained of the rift. Too small to host an army it still remained large enough for demons to walk through in groups of two or three. Locke and Nagrendra appeared at Vin's side and followed him into the Plaza. Josiah trailed the others down off the ledge, Buck in the lead, carelessly kicking the bodies out of their path.

"I just don't get it!" exclaimed a tired JD. "We killed everything that spell was drawing power from. You stopped it from latching onto anything else. The Lancers must have done the same on their side, so why hasn't the rift closed?"

"As I said in the Saloon before we left, Marquay might use his magic to make the rift much more difficult to close. The large rift needed a great deal of energy to power it. But this small rift is almost self-sustaining. It could be months before it closed on its own," explained Josiah.

"Kit and Tyrchon are organizing a defensive stand against the remaining half of the demon army," informed Locke, "but with less than thirty warriors against more than a thousand, we won't last for long." He set his eyes on Josiah. "Please tell me you can close the rift."

"I believe I can, though it's going to require some unusual actions." Josiah hesitated. "It took both Chaos and Imperial magic to create the rift, and it's going to take both to dissolve the rift."

Any arguments Locke may have wished to offer were quickly suppressed by the sound of renewed battle. Face suddenly grim, Locke conceded, "Do whatever you have to," and ran to join his Lancers.

Nagrendra didn't follow. "Do you have the energy left to work such complex magic?" The reptilian head tilted sideways in question.

"Not nearly enough," admitted Josiah, "but I seem to recall a legend about the ancient sorcerer Jasonan drawing power from another's Phoenix Feather to entomb the Taran devil."

"You're balancing the future of the Empire on the use of Chaos magic and a thousand year old legend?" Nagrendra's tail twitched nervously.

"I know of no other way to heal the damage Marquay caused. We could use construction magic to block the rift. But that would only delay them a bit while they broke their way through, and we don't have the mage force to keep up such tactics for long. Without the aid of the City of Sorcerers this is our only option," Josiah assessed calmly.

"So whose feather you planning on tapping into to get this done?" asked Vin. He glanced over his shoulder clearly torn by his inability to aid the Lancers. Only Xoayya's dire warnings of what might happen if Fialchar were to notice him amongst the Chaos battle kept him in the Plaza.

"To guarantee success I'd like to 'tap into' all Seven, but I need your consent. Touching another's Phoenix Feather is tantamount to touching their soul."

"Well, 'strengthened by the bonds of blood and soul'," quoted Buck. "Ain't that just what that pretty little sorceress said at Sanctuary? Sounds to me like you're on the right track."

"You mean, you were actually paying attention to her **words**?" sniped JD as the continuous stress began to wear on him.

Buck just smiled in response. "Kid, I always pay attention to everything a beautiful woman says to me."

Ignoring their byplay, Josiah looked to Chris for his decision, certain the others would follow his lead.

"Let's finish this," Chris ordered.

When no one else voiced objections, Josiah spoke to Nagrendra, "We'll be vulnerable while I cast the magics."

"I'll protect you as long as I can," promised Nagrendra, and then he moved to stand guard at the rift.

* * *

><p>Locke raced past Kit's archers towards the focal point of the battle. Tyrchon had ordered the remaining Lancers to form a line at the narrowest point of the cliff trail. In fact, the trail seemed to be getting even narrower by the minute. Then Locke spotted Keith and Sorcha combining their construction magic to build a twelve-foot high rock wall to block the trail. Locke moved up to take the place of a wounded Rider. His movements quickly became an instinctive dance of slash, parry, block and thrust, as all thought converged on standing firm against the enemy. Locke was knocked into Tyrchon by several rushing Storm warriors, but was able to force them back when Keith moved to bolster his flank.<p>

A flash of sparkling green pulled Locke's gaze further down the trail, where his stallion, followed by several other mounts, continued to cause problems for the demons trying to join the advance. Locke took a deep breath and whistled, calling his stallion across the battlefield. The Emerald horse waited just long enough to make it clear that he was joining Locke because he wanted to and not because he was ordered. Then he trumpeted to his loyal herd and led a stampede up the trail to the Lancers.

"Look out," was all the warning Locke had time to give before mounts of all shapes and sizes trampled through their opponents and joined the Riders. Sorcha and Keith used the short lull in the fighting to finish their rock barrier and halt the demon advance. Sorcha promptly fell to her knees in exhaustion. Many of the other Riders were binding wounds and moving the most gravely wounded back towards the cavern.

Already the stone wall was trembling as demons assaulted it with lightening, hail and fire from the other side.

"How long will it hold?" wondered Tyrchon over the deafening staccato of the demon's magical attack.

"A few minutes at best," admitted Keith. Fatigue had the twenty-seven year old priest looking like he'd aged a decade in the last couple hours. Sorcha looked even worse cuts and scrapes marring every patch of bare skin. It seemed to be taking everything she had left, just to keep breathing. Yet her eyes held a defiant mix of Chaos fire and determination. Keith shared her willingness to fight on to any end, but he felt responsible to provide several pertinent details to his leaders. "Sorcha is spent." The witch shot Keith a dirty look but couldn't deny his assessment. "On my own, I maybe have enough strength to build another wall one-third its size when this one gives." He left unsaid how ineffective a four-foot wall would be compared to the current twelve foot one.

"My archers are just about out of arrows," Kit reported of their dwindling resources.

"Pull the wounded back into the cavern, the same with the horses," ordered Locke. "Keith, I don't want you to build a wall. I want a trench. Deep enough to trip them when they charge, and hidden by concealment magic. Can you manage all that?" Locke knew he was asking quite a bit of the tired mage.

Keith nodded wordlessly as he tried to find his focus. As the shallow trench began to form in an arch around the Riders, Keith decided that if he somehow managed to live through this he was going to challenge for the fourth rank badge in magic. There was no way the test could be any more extreme then the trials he'd faced this day. With the trench finished Keith spread a blanket of concealment magic over it, just before his eyes rolled back in his head. He never felt Tyrchon catch him before he hit the ground, or pass him to the Rider helping the wounded into the cavern. Never heard the obsidian barricade he and Sorcha fashioned crack and shatter beneath the demon onslaught. Never saw the dwindling Lancers move, to stand again, against the demon hoards.

* * *

><p>JD was trying really, really hard not to panic. There were cascades of blue magic and red magic whirling about the room like a hundred thousand glowing mayflies. JD tried not to flinch every time a red sparkle danced near him, but all his life he'd been taught that red magic meant Chaos, and Chaos was evil. And now here he was willingly taking part in a ritual involving Chaos magic. He tried to convince himself, that surely, if what they were doing was wrong, the Reptiad mage would have objected more. But then the terrified corner of JD's mind remembered that the Reptiad had objected; he just hadn't been able to present a better option. Besides, desperate times called for desperate measures. Which reminded JD how bad things were and ratcheted the panic up another notch.<p>

JD tried again to reign in his nearly overwhelming fear. His circular thoughts were clearly making things worse, not better. None of the others were panicking. Josiah was the picture of calm confidence as he chanted a bewitching cadence. Nathan's voice wove steadily around Josiah's as he lent his aid. Vin was leaning back against the cave wall, eyes closed, apparently napping. Buck's eyes were open, darting left and right as he enjoyed the lights show Josiah was putting on for him. Chris couldn't seem to care less about the potent magic swirling around them. Instead, his gaze was locked on the rift as though he was trying to glare it into submission. Then JD noticed Ezra and the way he frowned a bit and pulled back when a concentration of Chaos magic spun past him. It was enough for JD realize he wasn't the only one uncomfortable with what was happening. Somehow just knowing that made JD feel much better. Seconds later green eyes met his as Ezra passed him a reassuring nod. Finally, JD's concentration moved away from what was happening around him to what was happening within him.

JD felt a strange heat in his middle. It wasn't painful, yet it burned with an intensity he couldn't define. As the fire within him began to glow and take shape JD recognized the Phoenix Feather Xoayya had shown them earlier. That was another thing JD was still trying to wrap his mind around. That he'd somehow been 'marked by the Gods'. After all, he was just JD, son of a Human maid and an Elvin Chaos Rider who'd died before he was ten. A stable boy who'd run off to make a name for himself after his mother died. He wasn't a legend or a hero. Most days he had a hard time getting others just to concede he was a man. Yet there the feather burned within him. Was it possible the Gods had made a mistake?

A bit of sparkling blue that had been floating by took a sudden turn into JD's burning feather diving out the other side.

_Before him towered a tall, cool, perfectly coifed blonde staring down in disapproval. "Really Ezra, I taught you better than that. Do you want to end up like your father? A loser, beaten to death for dealing the wrong cards."_

He wanted to challenge her lie, even as he recognized those thoughts and feelings weren't his own. A shimmer of red dove for JD's Phoenix flame.

_"He's so small. What if I drop him?" Musical laughter answered, "Are you telling me that Christopher, son of Larabee, Chaos Rider extraordinaire is afraid to hold his own son?" Before he could rally a response a warm, wriggly mass was deposited neatly in his arms. Meeting the solemn eyes of his child he was overcome with the need to verify each of the babe's fingers and toes. As his hand slid across the tiny palm, Adam grasped his finger and squeezed it tight. His chest tightened and his heart raced in response. How could this a tiny person possess such strength? "He's your son," Sarah answered the unasked question._

With painful clarity JD understood why Chris couldn't move past his family's deaths.

_The light was dim in the sick room, but it didn't hide how pale, fevered and weak the woman in the bed was. "Listen to me," she insisted, her voice little more than a whisper. "You're Vin, son of Tanner. Don't you ever forget who you are."_

"I won't, Mama," JD heard himself echoing the child's reply. The Imperial blue and Chaotic red braid together, as both magics reached out for the power of the Phoenix Feathers and drew with them the very essence of the Seven.

_A dark skinned man in worn cloths entered a small hut. "Look Daddy, Doctor Myrna gave me a mortar and pestle. She says I've got the healing touch." He proclaimed with childish pride. "That's fine, Nathan," said the man barely listening. "Now I need you to pack your things. We're moving on to the next farm." "When's Mama coming?" he asked. "She's not!" was the harsh answer. "What? We can't go without Mama," he cried. The man suddenly grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "It's too late. Your Mama is already gone. Now stop arguing and pack your things." _

_He raced across the room. Soft fingers tousled his hair and caressed his cheeks as he passed. "Here's your ribbon, Mama," he offered his prize to the black haired saint who smelled of roses. "Thank you, Bucklin. You can go play now if you want." "Na, I'd rather stay here with you and the Ladies." "That's our Buck, five years old and he already prefers the company of beautiful women." A chorus of laughter filled the room. _

"_Hannah, calm down. Tell me what's frightened you." "Demons, Josiah, can't you see them?" came his little sister's hysterical reply. "Don't cry, Hannah, I'll protect you. If any demon comes close I'll kill it, I swear I will."_

The visions kept coming, too numerous to be categorized, too quick to be understood. They should have bewildered him but instead he felt infused with a feeling of solidarity. JD was a part of the Seven, and they were a part of him. Josiah's chant of the ancient tongue was now easy to comprehend. Looking to the Ward Wall, JD could actually see the individual spells woven into it. The small snag that was the rift was so easily repaired JD could only wonder why he hadn't recognized it before. His voice joined Josiah and Nathan's. In fact, all of the Seven spoke with power and purpose. A thread of blue and another of red unraveled from the braid that united the Seven. Both shoot forward slamming into the Ward Wall in a cascade of light. The threads wove back and forth across the rift sewing it back together. As the rift was finally sealed the remnant magical energies slowly dissipated, the magical understanding that had been so clear just seconds ago silently slipped from JD's mind.

Seconds later the last of the Lancers backed through the Ward Wall into the Plaza, surrendering the precipice to a frustrated demon swarm.

"Well, now that that's done," stated Buck as he cleaned the blood off his sword, "I could go for an ale."

Tyrchon tossed a weary grin in the rogue's direction. "Since you're buying, I'm drinking."

A slightly dazed JD was somewhat surprised to find himself releasing a rusty chuckle, as it finally sunk in: The battle was over and they were still alive.

* * *

><p>The combined group of Lancers and Seven traveled down the forest road at a subdued trot. The adrenaline rush that peeked with their hard-won victory and surprising survival ebbed away as the weary fighters set about finding their way out of the tunnels. Josiah and Nathan, who had been surprisingly rejuvenated by their success in sealing the rift, worked quickly to heal or at least stabilize the numerous wounded Lancers. Everyone was eager to leave the Plaza and its overwhelming odor of death.<p>

Ezra was leading them to the closest of the surface exits when they encountered another group of Riders led by Raphael, whom Chris knew from past campaigns. Raphael had given them a quick update of what had been happening on the surface since daybreak. It was sobering to hear of the destroyed ranches and farms. According to Raphael most of Purgatory was gone because when a group of Hobs attacked the town, instead of fighting the populace started a panicked riot that left no building untouched. Raphael had been passing near the area and witnessed the devastation first hand as he tried to help a few families flee the battle zone. Fergus had taken command of the Chaos Riders and the local volunteers, making warning and protecting civilians the top priority, with killing demons a close secondary objective. Those families closest to town had been encouraged to seek its relative safety while others tried to brazen it out, gathering at the most defensible homesteads and sharing resources. Fergus had set up a forward command center at Nettie's ranch declaring it to be the most defendable location in the entire province of Menal. Ezra was especially relieved to hear the continuous presence of Chaos Riders would make the children he'd sent to Nettie as safe as possible under the current circumstances.

Chris and Locke made the easy decision to head for Nettie's. Both leaders were convinced that the end of their last battle was already leading to another much longer and, in some ways, more challenging struggle. Raphael and his group stayed behind to explore the tunnels and hopefully identify all of its widely spread exits. Since reaching the surface the Seven and the Lancers had passed too many skirmish sites littered with the bodies of demons and numerous Imperials. When the Riders finally neared Nettie's they quickened their pace at the sight of warriors and militia mixing with civilians and children. All were busy cooking and eating, repairing and fashioning weapons, guarding the perimeter and tending the many horses.

Ezra was swamped by children as soon as he dismounted bringing welcome smiles to many.

"So there were survivors from The Battle of the Wall after all," noted Fergus as he stepped out to Nettie's wide porch. "That's good. We'll be needing all of you to help root out our current demon infestation; especially since we still can't seem to reach any authorities beyond Kasha."

"Sounds like Marquay's communication spell is still up," decided Josiah. "We'll have to track down the locations of its corner stones to break it." Josiah looked ready to leave that minute.

"Hold," interrupted Chris. "You're not going anywhere until you've eaten and rested. There are too many demons around to have you wandering about at anything less than top form."

"Agreed," seconded Locke when Josiah looked ready to protest. "And that goes for every one of my Lancers, too. I want you to eat, get a couple hours of rest, or meditation; whatever you need to recharge and get back into fighting form." No one argued once the orders had been laid out.

As the Riders began to scatter in all directions Chris decided now was as good a time as any to address Ezra's earlier desertion. He stepped close to Ezra, moving into his personal space. "Don't ever run out on me again." Chris ordered in a low growl. "I don't care if you were going after the wand. You disappeared without telling us, forced us to divide our numbers, and we wouldn't even have gotten the wand if Vin and I hadn't followed you. Solo heroics might have worked for a Shadow Agent but in a fighting unit they just get others killed."

Ezra dropped his eyes as every excuse he could have offered was efficiently cut off. He realized he'd been too focused on achieving his goal to clearly see the danger he was putting the others in. Ezra silently nodded his promise to do better and Chris let him pass.

When Chris turned around he found Josiah watching him. "Problem?"

Josiah offered a sly grin. "Just thinking how relieved I am that it's not my job to keep this crew in line."

"Wonderful," Chris rolled his eyes and tried not to consider how many ways the less experienced members of his new team could get into trouble. He headed into Nettie's house where he found the retired Rider sharpening blades while Fergus informed Locke of the arrangements he'd made to protect civilians and track demons.

"You're saying you've only engaged a few dozen Storm demons?" Locke asked incredulously.

"Yes," answered Fergus. "The majority of our reported contacts involve Hob demons, with only a few Storm or Flame Demons."

"I saw the demons traveling through the rift. There were twice as many Storms as Hob demons." Chris added to the conversation. "The only way your reports make sense is if the Storms are going to ground."

"They quietly dig in at several safe locations; learn the lay of the land, while we're chasing Hobs. Then they can attack us when we least expect it," assessed Locke.

"The face of the war we're fighting just changed dramatically," was Chris's grim epitaph.

JD rushed in the door. "Hurry guys, you've got to come see this!" Then he ran back outside. Those within emptied to the porch, quickly spotting the large twenty-foot portal forming in Nettie's Yard. Despite its blue shading, many warriors took a defensive stand surrounding the vortex. Only when uniformed Imperial Guards, Mages and Chaos Riders marched out did they relax, some even applauding the arrival of reinforcements.

At the end of the column came a smaller contingent of Palace Guards with the nineteen-year-old Emperor in their midst. Thetys V strode purposely towards the ranch house where the Riders gathered all bowed in respect. "Please rise," the ruler urged. "We have more important issues than court etiquette to deal with." Zeroing in on Nettie he extended his hand. "I understand this is your home, Ms. Nettie. You've been very gracious to offer a resting place to our Imperial forces during this time of strife. Your nation is indebted to you."

"Nonsense," countered Nettie. "No one is in debt to me; I was just doing what was right. My home isn't very grand but you're welcome to use it however you see fit. Just give me a minute to clear the children out." She led them into the main room of her ranch.

"It's true; the children shouldn't hear our discussion. But I hope you'll stay and add your experience and wisdom to our plans," came Thetys politely worded but no less sincere request. Nettie nodded with a smile. She'd seen more action in the past twelve hours than she had in the previous fifteen years, and damned if she wasn't having the time of her life despite the circumstances.

"It's good to see you, Your Majesty," welcomed Locke. "We didn't think any of our calls for help had made it past Kasha."

"They didn't," admitted Thetys. "Grandmaster Quinn had a clairvoyant vision that showed him what had passed here, though it unfortunately came too late to prevent the worst of the conflict. Still, we're here now and ready to hunt down the demons until every last one is eradicated. My people deserve all the strength and protection I can offer." There was a hint of shame in his tone, as though he'd already decided he'd somehow failed in his responsibilities.

Before the Emperor could continue Josiah and Nathan entered the room, followed by Buck, Ezra and Vin. Josiah spoke first. "I was informed you wished to speak to the mages that sealed the rift."

"Yes," confirmed Thetys. "The Grand mages back at the capitol told me that Chaos magic had been used to help seal the rift. Since working such magic is usually considered an execution able offense, I'm going to issue you a Royal Pardon. I certainly can't allow you to be executed for actions you took to save my kingdom."

"Thank you, your Majesty," murmured Josiah and Nathan, bowing again.

"I also have a proposal for you. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to find all of the demons running loose in our realm. During that time, I'm stationing units of warriors at each community to help protect the local populace. Four Corners, being so close to the heart of the invasion will need a great deal of protection. In the Black Church caves you seven showed an ability to work together against overwhelming odds. Would you be willing to consider accepting the Corners' post?" Thetys watched the unusual mix of warriors grin and nod at each other.

Chris could see that the others all liked the idea, and it would work to their advantage. They'd be able hone their battle skills, especially JD, and learn to fight as a team, especially Ezra, without the danger of drawing Fialchar's attention, as they would if they campaigned in Chaos. Noticing that the others were all looking at him, waiting, giving him the final say, Chris sighed, "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this."(#3)

* * *

><p>"<em>Seven protecting Four Corners," tallied Thetys. "Excellent. Now how far have we gotten in mapping the Black Church tunnel complex?"<em> Xoayya blinked and vision faded from her mind. She ruthlessly quelled the flicker of hope burning within her. It was too soon to hope. She had yet to see the Seven defeat Fialchar in a vision. There'd been hints. Scraps of imagery that indicated they could beat Old Lord Disaster, but nothing definite. The aid she could offer them was severely limited. Fialchar kept his apprentice under tight rein. She'd already risked a great deal just contacting them. Future aid would have to come in the form of background support. She would continue to distract Fialchar from their existence and when the final conflict came eliminate Fialchar's escape routes. The rest would be up to the Seven.

The door squeaked open and Fialchar entered the conservatory. "I want to hear you recite the body spells I told you to memorize."

"Draiocht leigheas, draiocht bacach, draiocht cosain, draiocht diothaigh . . ."

Fialchar smiled at his apprentice's immediate obedience. Not that he was fooled into thinking he had her loyalty. He was well aware she'd snuck off to Len's Sanctuary at the same time Tyrchon was there. That warrior's unwavering devotion to Xoayya despite her current employ was starting to irritate Fialchar. She'd be much easier to control if she felt more isolated and vulnerable. He definitely needed to arrange for Tyrchon's painful, and preferably humiliating, death. Still he wasn't inclined to punish her deception. It was the first bit of deviousness and dishonesty she'd shown since he'd manipulated her into her apprenticeship. And he believed such vices should be encouraged. Though she was not aware of it, she was one of the Empire's purest hearts. And he quite enjoyed being the one to design the silent, sliding corruption of that purity. Yes, over all, life was proceeding just as he wanted. The recent strife had weakened several of his enemies. His own position was strengthening as a result. One of the Empire's most talented mages was his to command. And no force in the entire world could hope to stand against him. It was good indeed, to be Chaos's King.

**THE END**

**Footnotes: **The quotes noted can be found here.

**(#1)** A Hero Born, Michael A. Stackpole, page 173

**(#2)** A Hero Born, Michael A. Stackpole, page 356

**(#3)** One Day out West, The Magnificent Seven, MGM


End file.
